Stop To Smell The Roses
by InTheNameOfAsgard
Summary: "Stop to smell the roses, because even in the worst of times, it's refreshing to the mind to stop and enjoy the little things." You and Cry fight day by day to keep Clementine and the rest of your group safe from the walking dead, but at times, you're not exactly sure how much truth is found in to your own words. [Cryaotic x Reader / The Walking Dead Video Game, Book One.]
1. Chapter 1

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter One**_

_**The Man Behind The Mask**_

_Your P.O.V._

"Ma'am?! Ma'am, are you alive?"

The concerned tone loudly bounced off the walls of your head, bringing your mind to the surface of the waves of unconsciousness. You were still for a moment, all five of your senses working to kick in and start functioning at the same time. Your head ached like a bitch, but even worse, your right leg was giving you absolute hell. The single limb throbbed, and by the feeling of warm, sticky liquid covering it, you could tell you were bleeding. ...Badly. Your lips parted as you gave a gentle groan, and as you did, your voice cracked. You winced as a sudden feeling of thirst swelled in your throat.

"Mmnh..." You groaned again, clearing your throat. "Son of a bitch..."

"Oh, thank God!" The voice from before gave a relieved sigh, and you winced again as you felt a pair of warm hands come to your arms, just below your shoulders. They gave a light squeeze, but the grip wasn't too tight. You gave another light groan and, slowly, let your eyes flutter open.

You gave a light gasp as your face met the plain, white-circled eyes of a poker-face mask. The mask covered most of the person's face... however, you could still see their mouth, and their shaggy, medium-shaded brown hair. Their skin was light, but not completely pale.

He was at your side, upon his knees, lightly leaning over you. If you could see past his mask, you would have seen a heavy look of concern. He lightly tilted his head to the side, skull shifting as he looked you up and down.

"Are you okay?" Came his soft, concerned tone, as he looked back to your face again. You took a couple moments to stare up at him, your senses still struggling to register. You honestly couldn't decide if you wanted the pain in your head to stop, or the pain in your leg. You blinked, before giving a breathy, quiet sentence.

"I... think so?" It was more like a question to yourself than an answer for the mysterious masked man. There was a moment of silence between you two, then you suddenly felt his hands release your arms. Breeze brushed against the parts of your arms that had been covered before, and you shivered. You managed to lift your rather sore upper-body limbs and held your arms with your hands. Then, you put your hands to the apparently leafy, soil-covered ground and tried to lift yourself up. You gave a pained gasp as pain shot up your leg.

"Agh!"

"D-Don't! You're going to hurt yourself worse!" The man gasped. In a matter of moments, his arms were wrapped around your torso, and you gave a light squeak as he began to slowly lift you into a sitting position. "Slowly..." He mumbled, his voice suddenly going deep, and soft. Chills ran up your spine. "You don't want to hurt yourself any more than you already have..."

You lightly groaned as he helped you up, and after you finished, you slightly relaxed. You lifted your head to meet his gaze, but, once again, you were met with his mask. You couldn't see his eyes... in fact, you weren't even sure how he could see you, but apparently he could, because it looked like he could see your every move.

His mask looked familiar, but you couldn't quite place your finger on where you'd seen it before. You knew it was important... the design of the mask had a voice in your head _screaming_ it's name. But you couldn't hear it. You couldn't bring yourself to speak it's title. You couldn't remember... for that moment.

You realized you were staring too long when he gave an awkward huff of breath, and you quickly looked away, a light, embarrassed blush coming across your cheeks. You took this time to look around, and... take in your surrounding.

You were in a forest. Or... at the beginning of one. Beside you, a car lay on it's side, broken and dead. Above that, you noticed a metal road fence broken into two pieces. You could imagine the car swerving off of the road and slamming into the fence, pushing through it and falling to the ground. It didn't seem like a pleasant scene.

You groaned as your leg continued to throb, and looked to it again. You were wearing shorts... so there was nothing to hide the insane, bloody gash between your knee and your foot. You gave a light gasp when you saw the appearance of it's condition. You felt like shaking. You'd never seen yourself like that before. But you chose to try your best to remain calm, and instead, looked to the man, who was still silently knelt beside you. He was looking toward your leg, but he looked back to you as you shifted. You lightly coughed.

"Any chance that I was in that car accident?" You asked, your voice already growing stronger, the more you used it. The man waited a moment, before giving a light nod.

"I don't doubt it for a second, lady." He replied softly. He then gestured to your leg with his head. "It looks pretty bad. We should get you to a hospital."

Wait. You were in serious pain, just realized you were in a major car accident, there's possibly no way up the steep climb to the road again, and your new "buddy" here wants to take you to the hospital? Had you ever met a man who would do that without even asking your _name_ first?

No.

He sensed your sudden change of heart, and blinked (not that you could see him do so).

"What?" He asked.

You eyed him curiously, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you?" You asked. "Were you in the car with me when you crashed?" You looked him over quickly with your eyes. You noticed he wore a lime-green zip-up jacket with a white T-shirt underneath, along with dark blue-jeans and white, fairly clean sneakers. You looked back up to him. "How come _you're_ not injured?"

The man rose his hands up to his chest in defense, his palms exposed to you. He lightly shook his head. "A-Ah, no, I wasn't in the car with you," He spoke quickly. You watched as he pointed to the right, toward a different part of the forest. "I'll be completely honest. I just woke up randomly... in this forest. I don't even remember what happened. I wanted to find my way to civilization, so I started walking, and I eventually stumbled upon you."

You tilted your head to the side. "Strange..." You said softly. "So you just... found me like this?"

"Yeah," The man replied. "Then I tried waking you up, and... you did."

You gave a single blink, before looking to the car. "So, then... who was I riding in the car with?"

The man flinched. You looked back to him. He was still for several moments, before shifting out of the way. Your eyes darted behind him, before falling upon a bloody figure in the middle of the ground. He was dead, for sure. Blood trailed from behind his body. However, he wore a tan uniform, and you knew right away, that he was a cop. Your mouth fell open.

"I... I don't remember crashing..." You admitted, honestly. "I don't even remember getting into the car with that officer. I don't... I..."

This was starting to get overwhelming. You suddenly felt a hand on your shoulder. You looked to the man, and noticed a generous, small smile across his lips.

"Hey, friend, don't worry," He said softly, his voice deep again. "You probably just hit your head during the fall. You're lucky to be alive." He paused. "Come on. We can't get up the hill there, but there must be some houses or something up ahead, with people that can help you."

A soft smile of your own swept across your lips. You looked up at him, and gave a grateful nod.

"Thank you," You spoke softly. "That really means a lot, man."

"Don't mention it," The man replied. You watched him get to his feet. "I wouldn't leave a young, injured girl to fend for herself. Today's been a big day... for both of us, but especially you. You deserve some rest."

His kindness only made you smile more. You couldn't tell why, but... he seemed to get more and more familiar. The mask. The voice. It was all so soothing. Like you've heard and seen it all before.

He reached a hand down toward you. "Can you stand, friend?" He asked.

You tried to move your leg, but gasped. That confirmed the man's suspicion.

"Thought not." He admitted. You watched as he bent down, and before you could do anything, slid his arms under you. "Okay, then. Hang on. Your leg's gonna hurt worse for a sec."

"What are you- aghh!" You gasped as he pulled you up, holding you bridal-style. Your body knocked against his chest, but his grip was firm, and he kept you in place. A scarlet color spread across your cheeks as your face heated. Your head, you swear to God by itself, leaned against his chest. You heard him chuckle.

"There we go!" He announced. "Now, all we need to do is find some help, and then you'll be fine."

You smiled up at him, despite the fact that you were completely embarrassed. ...And the fact that you felt useless. You couldn't remember a thing, your leg was broken, and you were being carried by a very friendly stranger who only wanted to help. Oh, you had your suspicions. He could be a pervert playing an act. But you rolled along with it. ...You knew he could get you help, if you waited long enough. And by that point, you'd know if he was really good-spirited or not.

So as he began to walk, you decided to strike up another conversation.

"My name is [Your Name]," You spoke softly. The man was silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"[Your Name]... That's beautiful."

You blushed. "Thanks..."

The man chuckled, and then continued. "My name's Cry. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Then, the realization hit you. His mask. His voice. His overwhelming kindness. The familiar feelings. It all made sense now. How had you not seen it before?! Another blush rose to your cheeks. Not because you were fangirling (which you weren't really even thinking about at the moment), but because you had met _the_ Cry _in_ person!

"Cry?!" You asked suddenly, looking up at him. "Cryaotic?!"

The man abruptly stopped in his pace and looked down at you, blinking. "You know my name?" He asked, suddenly. Then realization sunk into his face. For a moment, you couldn't tell if he looked relieved, or bummed.

"Oh. You must be a fangirl."

You couldn't tell what his tone of voice truly meant. He couldn't have been disappointed to meet a fan, could he?

You stammered, struggling to find words. It wasn't long before you did. He'd continued walking. "N-No, I'm not. Well... I mean, I am a fan, and I'm a girl, but I wouldn't call myself a 'fangirl'... I don't... stalk you or anything..."

Relief flushed over Cry's face. You blinked. He sighed. "Thank God..." He whispered. You tilted your head to the side, confused. He noticed your – again – change of heart, and was quick to correct himself. "Ah! I'm not meaning that I'm relieved your not a fangirl. That's great that you're a fan. I love all my fans... even the crazy ones. But seriously, the last thing I need is an overly-excited woman asking me a million questions at the moment. I've had a long day."

"Right," You agreed. "Well, I'm... sorry if I made myself seem that way. I'm honestly excited to have met you, but I won't bombard you with questions."

He chuckled again. "Don't worry about it."

There was another couple moments of silence. The blush had left your face, but you still felt incredibly awkward being in his arms. You were in _Cry's_ arms, a man you thought you'd never meet. You never thought you'd actually see him. And while you couldn't see his face, you could see the rest of him, and it just kind of... freaked you out.

You were convinced that Cry would never show himself to his fans, and you had learned to accept that. It was a bit of a bummer, but you were set on letting his appearance be a mystery. It made his person more... mysterious. Cool, in a way. The point was; you weren't expecting to have a moment to personally be _with_ Cry. And luckily, you weren't a screaming fangirl _begging_ to see his face.

You looked to your leg again. With each bounce that created in Cry's step (it wasn't on purpose), your leg lightly jolted, and pain would shoot up. It hurt like a bitch, but you knew there was no point in complaining. You didn't want to seem any more useless.

Cry's pace suddenly halted, and you almost toppled out of his arms. You reached your arms up around his neck to hold on, and he held on tighter to you, so thankfully, you didn't end up hitting the ground. You kept your arms around his neck and looked up to him, curiously, but his face was looking off into a different direction. His lips were lightly parted, and you could imagine a curious look on his face. You opened your mouth to speak... to ask him what the matter was, but a different sound beat you to it. You froze in Cry's arms... then gathered the courage to look over your shoulder.

A figure. In the trees. It looked like a male body – broad shoulders, bigger stomach, fatter thighs and a larger, bulkier head. It was obvious the man's attention was upon you. He was making his way toward you, stumbles in his steps. His arms were reached out... and it wasn't long before you heard a sickening, _hungry_ growl-like moan. Shivers ran through your body. You'd never heard a noise like that before.

Cry took a step toward the direction you had been going, and then froze again. Your eyes widened as a second groan came from the right of you both. A woman, wearing a bloodied, long white dress was coming toward you at a faster rate, her groans louder. Fear began to strike inside you, and your heart began to beat faster. You wanted to tell Cry to move his ass, but he didn't have to. You felt his grip on you tighten.

"Hold on," He whispered.

Then, he broke into a sprint. His chest heaved out and in with slow breaths as he tried to save energy. His legs spread in large strides with each long step, gaining agility as he ran. You held onto his neck tightly (not too tightly. You didn't want to suffocate him...), and looked to the direction you were going. If it were possible, your eyes widened wider when you saw more people (could you call them people?) begin to stumble toward you. One was very close... and the longer you stared, the more you took in it's appearance. It's face was rotten, and bloody. His teeth were sharp, and yellow, and his eyes seemed to glow... soulless, and showing no pupil. His clothes were ragged and torn, and different parts of his body were missing chunks of meat, and instead, showing blood-covered bones. You shrieked.

"Go, Cry!" You yelled. _"Go, go, go, go, go!"_

"I'm going!" Cry snapped. He continued to sprint through the forest, holding you tightly in his arms. You could hear his heart pounding in his chest. A feeling of fear continued to grow inside you. The people... the monsters... whatever they are, were right on your tails, their groans loud, and dangerous.

It wasn't long before the forest (confirming that the size of it was small) came to an end. Ahead of you, there were several houses... a neighborhood, each one owning a seven-foot-tall wooden fence around it. You looked to Cry, and he looked to you, and you both gave each other a nod. Cry... if it was possible, picked up his speed, and it wasn't long before you crossed the small field of dirt and grass, and reached the fence of one of the houses.

Cry's grip on you loosened, and as you approached the fence, he tossed you upward. You shrieked again, but softer this time, and reached your arms out. You caught hold of the end of the fence and held on tight, before swinging your legs over. Your butt hit the grass, and you moved backward, your back eventually hitting the patio of the back-door porch. You watched the fence with wide eyes, waiting to see Cry's figure jump over the fence. But there was nothing. His body didn't come over. The monsters were still growling. You bit your lip, and called out.

"C-Cry?!" You asked. "C-Cry! Come on!"

You were beginning to loose hope. The monsters' groans and growls were growing distant now, as if they were walking away. You could just imagine Cry's dead, eaten body against the fence. Had he not made it? Had he thrown you over the fence, and then became a meal for the cannibalistic dead?

You began to shake. Tears pricked at your eyes. You brought your knees up to your chest and held them tightly. This was it. Cry was dead. _You _killed Cry, and now you were on your own.

"[Your Name]?!"

Your head perked as you heard the familiar tone call your name. You brought your hand up to your face and wiped away the tears, before looking around. At first, you didn't see his figure. But the more you looked, the more you came to realize that his voice was coming from the other side of the fence. You blinked as you stared at the wooden posts, and then watched as his arms appeared over the top.

He grabbed the edge of the fence and pulled, hoisting his body over the top. He stole a glance in your direction before dropping down onto the ground, upon his feet. After he'd dusted himself off, he took large strides in your direction. Though his mask covered his face, you could feel his eyes burning into your skin. He approached quickly, before crouching down.

"You okay?" He asked.

You blinked for a moment, staring up at his poker-face mask, before giving a curt nod.

"Yes," You replied, tone softer than you expected. "Scared, but fine."

Cry gave a soft hum, as if he was in thought. He then looked down to your leg, lightly tracing his fingers along the least-bloodied part. You fought the urge to wince or cry out. His touch hurt, but you didn't want him to think you were more useless than you already were. You watched him examine your leg. When the monsters had shown up, you'd forgotten all about the pain. But now, it was back... and hurt worse.

"We have to get you to a hospital," He repeated the same line from before, before leaving his crouched position and looking around.

Your eyes flicked back to the fence. "Cry, what _were _those things?!"

"I have no idea," Cry replied, looking back over at the fence as well. "But whatever they are, I'm like, ninety-nine percent sure they're dangerous."

He put his hands on his hips as his head shifted left and right, examining the area. You decided to do the same... and inspect what you could see.

You were in the backyard of a house. The yard was well-trimmed, and growing a couple beautiful flowers (such as daisies and roses). To your left, there was a very large tree, and in that, a tree-house. Below that was a small tea-set... one that looked like it belonged to a little girl. You eyed the set curiously, before looking back up to Cry. He'd taken his hands off of his hips, and in a matter of moments, looked back down to you.

"Let's see if there's anyone inside the house that could help us." He suggested. You hesitated, but then quickly gave a nod. You grit your teeth together in pain as he – as gently as he could – lifted you back into his arms, and began to make his way up the porch. You put your arms around his neck for balance, and tried to keep your leg as still as possible. He held you with a firm grip, and kept you close. As you guys got onto the porch, he approached the back-doors (which was a see-through screen). You tried to look through the glass, but it was the kind of glass where you could see outside the pane, but not inside. Cry lightly kicked the door with his foot (since his hands were full).

"Hello...? Anybody home?" He called. "We could use some help..."

No answer. Cry huffed. Still keeping a firm grip, he leaned forward, hooking his fingers around the door handle just enough to pull it open. You were surprised that the back-door was unlocked, but said nothing to it. When the door was opened enough, Cry carried you through.

"Alright, we're coming in!" He announced, loudly. "Don't shoot, okay?"

As the two of you made your way inside, you refrained from gasping at the sight. The first thing you noticed was the turned over chairs. And then the TV, which was on, but resulted in a blue-screen. By the entrance of the kitchen, a large pool of blood sat... but no body. Things were knocked over in the kitchen, and some in the living-room.

Something had happened here. Something bad.

"I think it's empty," Cry admitted.

"Still wanna go in?" You whispered, looking back up to him. "What if one of those... things that chased us a few minutes ago is in here?"

Cry was temporarily silent. As much as it seemed like a bad idea, you actually wanted to go inside the house. You could rest, and then search for something to help your leg. Or maybe look for other people... dead or alive. However, Cry seemed like he wanted to leave, and... you really hoped he wouldn't.

Cry opened his mouth to speak. Fear of him deciding to leave shot through your mind, though, as he spoke, you relaxed.

"Yeah, I still want to go in. I don't want to intrude on another person's home, but... these people may need more help than we do."

You'd smiled for a moment, but the smile had vanished as quick as it came. You held on tight as the two of you ventured further into the house. Cry was careful of where he stepped while he walked through. The inside of the house was dark... the windows covered by the blinds that were drawn down. As the two of you neared the living-room, the man gently rested you upon the sofa.

You stretched out your legs, leaning against the end of the couch and looked back up at him. He stared back down at you, before taking his hands away from your arms, and standing straight. He motioned toward the kitchen.

"I'm going to go see if there's anything in the kitchen that can help you, [Your Name]. I'm not a doctor, but there's gotta be something in there that I know of that can help you. Water. Painkillers. _Something_."

You nodded. "Okay..."

As he turned to leave, you suddenly reached out. "Cry,"

He stopped in his step and turned toward you again, giving a curious humming-noise.

You flashed a small smile. "I'm not as useless as I look right now," You admitted. "And I'm not normally this quiet. But... thank you. For doing this for me. I really appreciate it."

A smile spread across Cry's lips. The smile was small, but it was still there.

"You're welcome." He replied.

_Cry's P.O.V._

She seemed like a sweet girl. It was hard to believe that someone so calm and quiet was actually a fan of mine. Most of the female fans I've met – over the internet, of 'course – happened to be very... ecstatic and flashed many questions. But [Your Name]... she was different. I liked her, because of that. If she and I are going to be around each other for a while, I might even consider her an actual friend.

Her leg, though. That's a whole different story. I noticed the way she tries to hold in the pain, and tries not to complain. But her face gives it all away whenever the limb is moved. She's hurt... and the wound needs to be treated before it gets any worse. Unfortunately, I have almost no medical experience, so I can't fix it. So when I walked into the kitchen, the first thing I spotted was the oh-so-convenient cup of water sitting beside the sink. I was pretty thirsty myself, but... she'd needed it more than I did. I could find another cup to use, anyway. So I took it to her. She tried to refuse, but I insisted. So she took the water and gave a word of thanks. Then, I went back to the kitchen and continued my search. I checked the fridge... no food. The food on the dining room table was fake. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten, but I knew it wasn't too long ago. I was more concerned for [Your Name]. I'd checked the cupboards for food or painkillers. Nothing. Cabinets. Zilch. But as I got to one of the drawers, I'd come across a Walkie-Talkie radio. I was raised to not take things from other people. However, I was pretty sure that today was the start of the impossible "Zombie Apocalypse", so I thought, _Shit, why not?_ And went ahead and took it. After slipping it into my pocket, I'd crossed back into the living-room.

[Your Name] was still seated on the couch, and in her hand, she held a touch-screen cell-phone By the way she raised it into the air, and then gave a soft curse and a frown, I could tell she was trying to get connection.

"No service?" I asked. Her eyes flicked to me. She took a moment to stare, before shaking her head.

"No," She replied. "No service. The battery's pretty low, too. It's going to die soon." She paused. "I just wanted to get in touch with a friend of mine, but... looks like that won't happen."

I grimaced. "I'm sorry," I apologized... though I knew that none of this was my fault. She shrugged.

"It's fine." She replied. She turned the screen off of her phone and set it on the floor, beside the couch. She then looked back up to me, and tilted her head to the side.

"Did you find anything?" She asked. "Painkillers? A towel? _Something_ to help with this leg of mine?"

I shook no, and then bowed my head, placing my hands on my hips. "No," I spoke, my voice glum. "Nothing to help with your leg. I'm sorry, [Your Name]." I looked back up to her, and then patted my pocket. "However, I _did_ find a Walkie-Talkie. We could try to use it to contact other people. Maybe we can reach a police station, or someone else who has information, or a place for us to go to."

I half expected [Your Name] to give a sarcastic, nasty reply... as my friends would do if they were in the state she was... but she nodded, and gave a reassuring smile. "Yeah!" She grinned. "We should try that!"

I smiled. I liked her supportive attitude. And she was becoming more talkative, too. That was good. At least her attitude was improving. ...However, this probably didn't mean that her leg was hurting any less. My heart ached for her. I wouldn't be cool with having to be stuck in that kind of pain with no help for who knows how long she's had the wound. I opened my mouth to speak to her again, but before I could, I was interrupted.

By a beep.

The sound came from my immediate right. I turned, only to find an Answering Machine sitting on a small table. _**3 new messages**_was displayed in red.I stared at the machine for several moments, debating on whether or not I should check other people's messages. ...And then, just as before... _Shit, why not?_. I reached forward and hit the _Play Messages_ button. The machine made a different beep, and then a robotivc voice sounded.

"_**Three new messages."**_

"_**Message One: Left at 5:43 PM."**_

"_Hey, Sandra! This is Diana. We're still in Savannah. Ed had a little... 'incident' with some crazy guy near the hotel, so we had to get him back to the E.R. And get it checked out. ...Anyway, he's not feeling well enough to drive back tonight, so we're staying an extra day. Thank you so much for taking care of Clementine, and we promise we'll come back before your Spring Break."_

"_**Message Two: Left at 11:19 PM."**_

"_Oh my God, finally! I... I don't know if you tried to reach us... all the calls are getting dropped. They're not letting us leave, and they're not telling us anything about Atlanta...Please, please just... leave the city, and take Clementine with you back to Merietta's... I've got to get back to the hospital, and PLEASE let me know that you're safe!"_

"_**Message Three: Left at 6:15 AM."**_

"_C-Clementine, baby... if y-you can hear this, call the police... t-that's Nine, One, One... we love you... we love you... we love y-"_

I eyed the machine, my hand limply falling at my side. My jaw was slightly dropped. Sorrow swelled up in in chest, my heart seeming to sink into my stomach. That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all. Holy fuck.

I tore my gaze away from the machine and looked to [Your Name]. She stared right back, obvious sadness filling her face. Her lips formed a solid line as she gave me a look that said something like, _That was depressing as shit_. I gave her the same look. I opened my mouth to speak, but, for the second time, I was interrupted. This time, it wasn't a beep. Instead... it was a voice. My eyes went wide. I looked to my female companion... a same look on her face. She blinked at me, and waited. I looked back, before looking down toward the Walkie-Talkie.

_"Daddy?"_

**Hi, everyone! I know it's been a suuuuuper long time since I've posted anything, and I'm terribly sorry for the wait! You see, not only have I been going through school and work and personal stuff, but... I've also been working on THIS little story! I started it a long time ago, finished it, and then went on to write the second one (please note that my writing skills have gotten better since I'd written this very first chapter). I originally wanted to publish this story, but I got SUPER nervous, because 1. It's my first x-reader and 2. Some of the plot becomes a little different than the actual The Walking Dead Video Game plot. There's added characters and slightly different plot scenarios... and I was nervous about posting. But then I thought, "Shit, why not?" (-), and decided to give it a shot.  
SO! Here it is, the first chapter of my Cryatoic x Reader The Walking Dead Video Game fanfiction, book one! I'm editing each chapter before posting, and I should have the whole first "book" uploaded soon, and then I'll upload what I have of the second one. I really hope you all enjoy this lovely story, and don't forget to leave a review and tell a friend if you enjoyed! Thank you all so much, and I can't wait to receive the feedback!**

** ~ InTheNameOfAsgard**


	2. Chapter 2

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Two**_

_**For A Couple Of Strangers...**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

"Hello?"

_"You need to be quiet."_

I looked down at the Walkie-Talkie, and to the red button my thumb was hovering over. I turned away from the living-room, much to [Your Name]'s disappointment, and began to make my way into the kitchen. I looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice... but she was invisible.

"Who is this?" I asked, my voice gentle. The person on the other line was a little girl. This was obvious.

_"I'm Clementine. This is my house."_

I blinked as I looked around, but there was no little girl. I sighed, and pressed the button.

"Hi, Clementine. I'm Cry."

_"You're not my Daddy..." _Came the little reply. I winced, and sighed again.

"No, I'm not." I hesitated, before leaning against the sink. I looked to the Talkie again, and then spoke. "Where are your parents?"

_"They left me with a baby-sitter and went on a trip," _Clementine replied. _"They're in Savannah, I think. Where the boats are?"_

I gave a light nod. "Are you safe?" I asked.

There was a pause. And then a nod. _"I'm up here in my tree-house. They can't get in."_

I blinked, before turning around and looking outside the kitchen window. There, peeking out of the tree house's door, was probably the cutest little girl I've ever seen. She held a Walkie-Talkie with one hand, and with the other, she waved, and smiled. I smiled back, and gave a wave. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, there came a scream.

It didn't come from the Walkie-Talkie.

"CRY!"

Clementine looked concerned, and slightly fearful. I whipped around, dropping the Walkie-Talkie as I realized it was _[Your Name]_'s voice screaming my name. I moved through the kitchen, and... forgot about the blood by the entrance. I gave a yelp as my foot slipped, and I fell, hitting my head against the counter as I did so. When I opened my eyes, the world was blurry, but I couldn't let that stop me. I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled forward, forcing myself to look for [Your Name].

Eventually, my vision cleared, and my eyes fell upon her frightened figure. She was pinned against the couch, a rotting corpse standing over her, teeth inches away from her arm. [Your Name] was holding the monster up, but it wouldn't be long before her arms would give out.

Gasping, I sprinted forward, grabbing the monster by the arm and pushing it off. The monster stumbled and fell backward, knocking into the TV. I watched it fall before grabbing [Your Name]'s arm, pulling her up off of the couch, before holding tightly onto her wrist and making it toward the back door.

She limped slowly behind me, practically being dragged along. We reached the door, but not before [Your Name] screamed again. I spun around in just enough time to see the corpse latch it's fingers around her ankle, just above her flats. I gasped again.

"Fuck! Hold on!"

I dove onto the ground and wrestled the monster off, pinning it to the floor. It snarled up at me and struggled to grab, but I held it's wrists in place. It's glowing, soulless eyes stared up into mine, and I felt chills run down my spine. I didn't know what to do. The monster was stuck (so long as I didn't give into it's strength), but I had no way to kill it.

And then, [Your Name] was beside me. I watched with wide eyes as a hammer came smashing down onto the thing's head, smashing it's skull. It still moved, and so, [Your Name] gave another fearful shriek and hit it again. And again. And _again_. Finally, she hit the monster just right, and it went limp, eyes spreading apart as the hammer hit just between them.

I let go of the monster's wrists and straightened my back, before looking to [Your Name]. She was still looking to the monster. Blood was splattered on her face, and on her shirt. I knew there was probably some on my jacket as well, but I paid no mind to it. Reaching forward, I gently cupped her face in my hands and forced her to look at me. Her pupils were tiny, showing her fear. She was panting, tears ready to spill down her cheeks. I gave a slow and steady breath.

"Are you hurt?" I quietly asked. She shook her head. A tear rolled. I gave a relieved sigh, and brought her in for a hug. She stiffened, but then hugged me back. She dropped the hammer behind me, the bloodied tool hitting the ground with a big _thump_.

We pulled away, and I looked at her for several more moments, before drawing my hands away from her. I shifted my head to the right and tilted upward, my eyes falling upon a small, curly-haired girl.

_Clementine._

_Your P.O.V._

"Did you kill it?"

She was a small little girl, about four feet, with shoulder-length curly hair, a small yellowish-white dress, and a purple and white hat to cover her head with a big D on it that slightly resembled the Diamondbacks logo. Her eyes were big and golden - fearful and fascinating, and her chubby little cheeks went perfectly with her small button nose.

You lightly sighed, and rested your (luckily clean) hand upon Clementine's right shoulder. Your [eye color] eyes met gold. You lightly bit your lip.

"I think something else did." You replied.

She shook her head, fear showing in her face. "Sometimes they come back," She informed. You gave a slow nod.

"That one won't." You promised. "It's dead... dead-dead."

"Good..." The girl replied.

A low-toned hum came from your right. You looked back toward Cry, who finally blinked, and then put a more friendly look on his face.

"Clementine, right? You've been all by yourself through this?" He asked her.

Clementine gave a slow nod. "Yeah... I'd like for my parents to come home, now."

You bit your lip again. Your mind flashed to the Answering Machine. You refrained from sighing. But before you could speak, Cry interrupted.

"I think... that might be a while, you know?" He asked.

Clementine's face fell. Your heart ached. "Oh..." She said softly.

You tilted your head to the side. "How old are you, sweetie?" You asked.

She looked to you, and then to Cry... and then to you again.

"Eight," She replied. "But my birthday is coming up, in a few months."

"Oh," You replied. _Eight years old... orphaned only a couple days ago. Poor baby..._

"Well, don't worry, Clem." Cry said, giving a reassuring smile. "You can trust us. We'll take care of you, until we see your parents. Okay? It's dangerous to be alone right now."

Clementine gave a confident nod. "Okay." She replied.

You smiled. "I'm [Your Name]. My friend here is Cry."

"Hi," Cry spoke softly.

Clementine's face brightened. "Hi," She answered back. "What should we do, now?"

You looked to Cry, who looked back to you. Then, he stood, and offered you a hand. You nodded and took his hand, shakily getting to your feet. Clementine looked to your leg, and gasped.

"You're hurt!"

You winced, now that you were reminded of the pain in your leg. You shook your head.

"It looks bad, honey, but it's no big deal." You told her. She gave you a concerned, unconvinced look. You grinned. "Really, Clem. I'm a big girl. It's alright." You turned to Cry. "Still... she has a point. What do we do now?"

Cry nodded. "We should head out now." He said. "While the sun is still out."

"Agreed," You replied, giving a nod of your own. Clementine huffed.

"Yeah... it's not safe at night," She informed. You both looked to her, before looking toward the door. You began to limp in that direction, and then gasped as Cry's strong arms wrapped around you, and lifted you back into a bridal-style position. You looked up to him, and to his cheesy smirk.

"You probably shouldn't walk on that leg, Princess." He spoke softly. "You'll only make the injury worse."

From underneath you, Clementine giggled. You rolled my eyes, before wrapping your arms around Cry's neck for support.

"Didn't I just make a point that I was a big-girl?" You asked. He shook his head.

"You still look wounded to me."

You wanted to swear at him, but you held your tongue. It wasn't right to swear in front of a little kid. ...Two little kids, if you counted Cry. Which he was. A little kid. You only lightly frowned, before finally giving in and giving a small chuckle.

"Fine, you win." You replied. "Let's go, while we still have sunlight."

The three of you crossed out of the house and down the patio, and were now heading for the gates that led to the deserted, car-infested street. However, as you'd approached the gate, Clementine stopped, and nervously fumbled her hands together. You gave her a curious look, lightly tilting your head to the side.

"Clementine?" You asked.

She looked up to you, and stopped with the fumbling of her hands. She let them fall limp at her sides, before gesturing to the house with her head.

"Should I stay?" She asked. Cry hummed with curiosity.

"What?"

"I don't want to sleep in the tree-house tonight, but what if my parents come home, and I'm not there?"

You sighed, and looked up to Cry. Cry looked to you, his mouth a thin line... much like on his mask. He then looked back to Clementine.

"We won't leave you alone, sweetie."

Clementine lightly smiled at Cry's kindness. You did too. Clementine nodded. "Let's go somewhere that's close, okay?"

"Okay." You replied. "We'll do just that."

Clementine walked forward and opened the gate, allowing Cry to carry you through. The followed close behind, shutting the gate before coming to your guys' side. You smiled down at her, before looking up to the street.

Just ahead of you, what you first assumed was a couple monsters, actually turned out to be two people, trying to push a car. One was a younger-looking man with a smaller frame, a black mop of hair on his head and green eyes that matched tan skin. The other was a bit of a larger fellow, with trimmed brown hair and hazel eyes.

You eyed the two curiously, and, as if he'd read your thoughts, Cry began to approach them. They heard Cry's footsteps and spun around, eyes wide.

"Ah!" The first one shrieked and practically hid behind his friend. "Don't eat us!"

"Relax," Cry spoke quickly. "We're not going to hurt you."

The two strangers looked to each other, before calming down. "Oh, Thank God." The darker-haired man spoke. "For a minute, I thought you two and the little one were both gonna give us the chomp."

Cry smiled, and shook his head. You smiled, too. ...Then, both of your smiles vanished as Cry spoke.

"Do you guys know what the hell is going on?!" He asked.

The larger one shook his head. "No idea." He replied. "So you've seen them, then?"

Cry lightly shrugged, and his voice softened. "You could say that."

"My friend and I here were just trying to get back to our farm." The larger of the two strangers gestured behind him, to the car that they'd been pushing. Then to their red truck, just a little ways away. "This car is in the way."

The dark-haired one smiled. "If you help us, we can give you a lift back to my place."

"Sure," Cry replied. You winced, but tried not to show too much pain as Cry slowly lifted you onto the ground. Once you were on your feet, he lightly grabbed your wrist.

"You okay on your feet for a sec?" He asked.

You quickly nodded. "Yeah," You replied. "Standing's not gonna hurt me. I'm a big girl. Remember?"

"Sure, you are." Cry replied, sarcastically. "Sure, you are."

Clementine giggled. You shot her a fake frown, which only caused her to giggle more.

"I'm Shawn," The skinnier of the two strangers suddenly said. "Shawn Greene."

Cry smiled. "I'm Cry." He replied. He gestured to you, then to Clementine. "That's [Your Name], and that's Clementine."

The larger of the two crouched for a moment, and gave a little wave to Clementine.

"I'm Chet."

You had to keep yourself from breaking into loud _Awwwwws _as Clementine slightly hid behind you. "Hello..." She whispered.

"Is Clementine your guys' daughter?" Chet asked, suddenly. "The three of you make a fine family."

Your face burned. "A-Ah, no. We're not her parents... w-we're not even... together."

"Oh." Chet mumbled. He stood up. "I'm sorry. Then... who are you, to this girl?"

"We're... strangers..." Cry admitted, answering quickly. Chet blinked.

"Strangers?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, then..." Chet mumbled. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, she seems to trust you."

You smiled. "She's a good kid." From next to Chet, Shawn smiled.

"Alright, well, let's get this-"

Before Shawn could finish his sentence, a loud groan interrupted him. All five of you spun around, eyes darting to the street. Just a little ways away, monsters were stumbling toward you, arms stretched out, teeth ready to rip and tear at flesh. Fear traveled through you.

"Shawn, start the car, and get [Your Name] into it. She's wounded!" Chet ordered. He turned to Cry. "Cry, help me out with pushing this car."

"Sure thing." Cry replied. You tried to speak to him, but before you could, Shawn was grabbing your wrist and pulling you toward the red truck.

"C'mon, [Your Name]..." Shawn mumbled. "Let's go. When we get back to the farm, my Dad can take a look at that leg. He's a doctor... of some sorts."

You bit your lip to keep yourself from crying out in pain. You looked over your shoulder, eyes going to Cry. He and Chet were pushing the car, and beside him, little Clementine was helping. You wanted to tell Clem to come with you, but you were quickly stuffed into the truck, with the door slammed next to you. Shawn climbed in on the other side and started the car, the engine making a loud roar.

When the car was out of the way, Shawn rolled forward, and yelled, "Get in!".

You watched Cry quickly approach the truck, Clementine beside him. He opened the door on your side and pushed Clementine in, giving her an order than you couldn't hear. Clementine nodded, and climbed onto your lap, before Cry climbed into the free seat beside you and shut the door. To the back of the truck, Chet clumsily climbed in, and the car drove off. The monsters were soon abandoned on the street as the two of you made it onto the road.

From beside you, Shawn smirked.

_"Well, for a couple of strangers, I'd say the two of you saved bunch of lives today."_

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you liked/disliked (please be easy on me for negative critisizm, and keep in mind that my skills have gotten better since the year I wrote this), and tell a friend! There is a LOT MORE to come, and soon! :3  
~ ITNOA**


	3. Chapter 3

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Three**_

_**Dumber Than A Bag Of Hammers**_

_Your P.O.V._

The car ride was long, and full of chatter between you, Cry, and Shawn. Clementine was quiet for the most part, though she did pipe up here and there. You and Cry got to know Shawn really well, and... also got to know each other really well. You'd always thought Cry was funny on the internet, but _holy shit,_ Cry had you holding your sides with tears coming out of your eyes from laughter in person. And seeing you laugh, for some reason, brought a big smile to his face. It was comforting to have something to be happy about. After the extremely long day you'd had, you didn't think you'd be able to laugh for at least a couple days. But you did, and thank God for that.

Being in the truck also made you feel safe. It comforted you to know that no monsters could get in while you guys were driving. So when the car began to slow, and eventually parked in the driveway of a small farm, you didn't feel so good about getting out. However, Cry had given you a reassuring smile, and Clementine squeezed your hand. This... somehow comforted you. You'd squeezed Clementine's hand back and smiled at Cry before slipping out of the car.

The outside world was dark, and dozens of stars decorated the sky. There was a cool breeze that brushed against your skin, which felt good against your warm flesh. ...It also stung against your wound, so you weren't too happy about that.

You were expecting Cry to try to pick you up again, but instead, he pulled one of your arms around his shoulders, and you leaned against him for support. Slowly, the two of you had made your way around the car, and were soon face-to-face with Shawn, and an older man with white hair. The man eyed you up and down, though his face wasn't unfriendly.

"I see you've brought a couple guests," The old man commented to Shawn, who you assumed was the man's son. You noticed Chet had disappeared, but after looking around, you saw his figure disappearing into the shadows, making his way to a different house just a little ways away.

"Yeah. Dad, this is Cry and [Your Name]. Guys, this is my Dad, Hershel Greene."

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Cry said respectfully, putting his hand out. Hershel lightly smiled and accepted it, but then pulled away.

"'Cry', eh? That's a strange name for a boy. Or for any gender, really."

You curiously looked up to Cry, but the emotion on his face (or on the part of his face that you could see) was unphased.

"My friends call me that. It's been my nick name for... many years." Cry replied.

"And your real name?" Hershel asked.

There was silence. Nothing came from Hershel, or Cry. Awkwardness began to fill the air. So, quickly, you turned to Hershel.

"H-Hershel, your son said you could help me out with my leg..."

Hershel shifted his gaze to you, then let his eyes flick to your leg. He blinked.

"Yes, I noticed that. I'd be more than happy to help."

A relieved smile washed across your face. You were happy he didn't press Cry's name.

"Oh, thank you!" You grinned. "It really hurts."

"Well, let's see what I can do," Hershel said. He looked to his son. "Go check on your sister, will you, Shawn? And see if she'll lend [Your Name] here a pair of jeans? They look to be about the same size." He then looked back to you. "It'd probably be best if you were to wear pants for a little while. You know... to help prevent this sort of thing."

You nodded. "Yeah... shorts are not what I usually wear, anyway. I'd be more than happy for a pair of jeans. ...Thank you."

Shawn smiled, and then extended a hand. You gratefully took it, flashing Cry a smile as you slid away from him. Cry didn't look very pleased... for some reason, his mouth gave that emotion away. But he said nothing, and instead, turned and mumbled something to Clementine. Your smile faltered. You turned back to Hershel, and after getting up onto the porch, sat down on seat. Hershel sat on the seat in front of it, and after lifting your leg onto his lap, began to clean it up.

"Let's see what we got here..." Hershel mumbled.

You winced as he touched the wound, but refrained from crying out (as you had been all that day). As Hershel worked, he made small talk. Cry and Clementine had made their way onto the porch, but stayed on the opposite side, having a conversation of their own, until the old man suddenly interrupted them. He looked over his shoulder.

"I didn't catch your name, darlin'." He said to Clementine.

Clementine hesitated. "Clementine..." She replied.

Hershel smiled, before looking back to your leg, and continuing to work. "Well, Clementine, you're lucky you have your parents here. I heard it's not so good down in the city right now."

Your eyes widened. Again? You nervously chuckled.

"O-Oh, she's not our child." You said. "Cry and I actually... aren't even together."

"Ah, good." Hershel sighed, relieved. "For a moment, I thought you'd been one of those teenage moms they talk about a lot on the television."

A blush coded your face. "No." You answered.

"A bunch of crap, that is. Seems that good television is rare, these days." Hershel stopped. Then looked up to you. "So, what is your guys' relationship with this girl? Cousins? Baby-sitter, perhaps?"

Cry sounded from behind Hershel. "Mr. Greene, sir, if we're honest, we only just met this child today."

"Strangers?" Hershel asked. "Well, you seem to be doing this girl well, for a couple of people who don't know her."

"We're trying." You said softly.

There was a moment of silence. You watched as Hershel did the last of the bandages around your wound, on your bare leg. You winced, but the pain didn't hurt as bad as before. When he was finished, he taped it together and looked up to you, giving you a smile.

"Alright. Your leg should be fine for tonight, but tomorrow, it's going to need more attention. We wanna fix this problem before it gets any worse."

_Any worse..._ You thought. "A-And... if it does?"

Hershel smirked. "We'll probably just have to shoot you."

Your eyes widened. From behind, Clementine and Cry's jaws dropped. Hershel suddenly broke into a fit of laughter.

"We'll clean it, stitch it, redress it, and it'll be good as new."

The three of you gave a relieved sigh, but _Cry_ was the next to speak.

"Okay," He sighed. "That'd be preferable."

You lifted your eyes to meet Cry's gaze... and then came up with looking at the eye-holes of his mask, instead. It was frustrating to want to look at someone's eyes, and have them not be there. You wouldn't say anything, of 'course. Cry's mask was part of what made Cry who he was. You weren't going to ruin that. ...Not that Cry would take off his mask for you, anyway. He wouldn't do it for the millions of begging fans, so he especially wouldn't do it for you.

Shawn walked through the front door, and you eyed the pair of dark-blue jeans in his arms. He flashed you a smile before walking up to you and handing you the pair.

"Here..." He said softly. You looked up to him and smiled.

"Thanks, Shawn." You spoke. A small blush spread across his cheeks, but he was quick to clear his throat and back away. Cry stood up from where he sat and crossed his arms, but remained silent.

"So, Dad," Shawn turned to his father. "I'm thinking; first thing tomorrow? We reinforce the fence surrounding the property. There's some dangerous stuff out there, and I don't want it getting through."

"That won't be necessary, Shawn." Hershel argued, as he began to pack up the stuff he had used to treat your leg. "Those kind of things don't happen around here. It ain't really like how they say it is on the TV."

"What? Yes it is!" Shawn argued. "Come on, [Your Name]... Cry... Tell them what you saw out there, guys."

You didn't speak. However, Cry did. "A bunch of rotting bodies eager to get their hands on human flesh," He said. "Most fucked up thing I've ever seen."

Clementine flinched at the swear. You glared at Cry. Cry bit his lip, then mouthed an apology.

"Well, if you really think it's a good idea, you can use the extra wood planks we have." Hershel sighed.

"I'm telling you, it's the right thing to do, Dad." Shawn nodded. "Maybe we can get the people in the barn to help. They said they'd like to do some work as a way to thank us for letting them stay here-"

"Shawn." Hershel snapped. He turned around and looked up to his son. "I said, 'okay'."

Shawn went silent, but gave a small nod. Hershel got to his feet, and then pulled you up with him. You gave him a grateful, soft thanks before limping over to Cry and Clementine. Clementine smiled at you, and Cry gave you a nod as he slipped his arm around you again. You leaned into him for the support.

You looked back to Hershel, who looked to you guys. He smiled.

"Another family arrived here earlier," He said. "They're in the barn. You can join them. There should be some room left in there. In the morning, you can figure out where you're going to head off, next."

Cry smiled. "Thanks so much, sir. That means a lot to us."

Hershel cracked a tiny smile of his own. "Sure thing... 'Cry'..."

"Hey. Wake up, Princess."

The familiar tone gently called you, pulling you into the world of consciousness. Your [eye color] eyes slowly fluttered open, and, again, you came face-to-face with the poker-faced mask. You blinked, before stiffling a small, soft yawn. Cry chuckled.

"Sleep well?" He asked. You gave a slow nod.

"Better than the last time I was able to sleep..." You mumbled. You blinked open your eyes again, after keeping them closed for a moment, and looked up to him.

"Is 'Princess' going to be a nick-name, Cry?" You asked, raising an eyebrow. Cry grinned.

"Why not? With all the princess-styled carrying I've been doing lately, I'd say you earned the nick-name."

"Ugh." You gave a playful groan, before pulling yourself into a sitting position. Cry was seated beside you, as he was the first time you'd woken up with him as your company.

The barn was big, able to keep several cows and horses inside, each of which was still in their stalls, some sleeping and some waiting for their breakfast. Several bales of hay were stacked here and there, and straw covered practically everything in sight. Across from you, Clementine was standing, itching her clothes. She looked to you and smiled as you got yourself to your feet. Cry was up in a matter of seconds.

"Morning!" She laughed.

You chuckled. "Good morning!" You smiled. "Sleep well, Clem?"

From behind Clem, coming through the wide-open doors of the barn, you watched with a curious gaze as someone new stepped inside. It was a man, neither Shawn, Hershel, or even Chet. This man was different. He was built tall, with a paleish-yellow shirt, worn and torn blue jeans, and a green ball-cap that fit snug atop his head. He had a mustache below his nose and a friendly expression on his face.

You liked him instantly.

"Well, hi there!" The man spoke for the first time, a redneck-like accent spilling from his lips. From beside you, Cry, who had just noticed the new man, suddenly gave a wide smile.

"Hi!" He said, enthusiastically.

"Hope you didn't have a problem sleepin' in the barn, like I did." The new man laughed. "Ah, I felt like I couldn' get'n ounce-a sleep in there."

"I slept fine," Clementine announced. "But I'm all itchy."

The man laughed. "Well, you slept in a barn, little lady." He told Clem. "You're lucky you don't have spiders in your hair."

Clementine looked absolutely horrified. She gasped and felt her hair. You couldn't help yourself from lightly keeling over as you laughed. Beside you, Cry loudly chuckled.

The man chuckled again, too, before looking to you and Cry.

"My name's Kenny," The man started. "Ya'll got names yourselves, don'tcha?"

Cry nodded. "I'm Cry." He replied. "My friend here is [Your Name], and the little one is Clementine. ...Before you ask, no, we're not a family. The three of us all just met yesterday."

"Oh, I see." Kenny laughed. "Well, then! I-"

"Dad!" A sudden voice called out. Your eyes flicked to the barn's entrance. Against the wall, a little boy stood. His eyes were big, brown, and bright, and his smile was wide. He looked enthusiastic, and ready to take on the world. He had messy brown hair atop his head and worn clothing, just like Kenny.

"They're gonna build a fence!" The little boy continued, hardly able to contain his excitement. "There's a tractor and everything!"

Kenny laughed. "Okay, okay, Duck. Let's go."

"Yeah!" The boy... apparently named Duck, cheered and ran off. You eyed Kenny curiously, an amused smile forming on your lips. The same expression was on Cry's face. Kenny walked out of the barn, and the two of you followed (with Clementine, of 'course).

"That was my boy, Ken Junior." Kenny explained. "We call him Duck, though."

Cry chuckled. "Dodging, or quacking, Ken?"

Kenny laughed. "Quacking. The boy has the shortest attention span in the world. ...And luckily, he's able to brush things off real easy. Like 'water off a duck's back', you know."

"I see." You replied. "He's very... cute."

"Thanks." Kenny said.

As the two of you walked, you eventually came to the house. Just outside, sitting upon the porch steps, a bigger woman with medium-sized blonde hair and blue eyes watched you approach. Duck was beside her. She had a friendly smile on her face, and her eyes lit up when she saw Clementine.

"Katjaa, meet my friends, Cry and [Your Name]. And this is Clementine."

Katjaa looked to Clementine. "Clementine," She repeated. Her tone was... German? You couldn't tell. "That's a very beautiful name."

Clementine, who was hidden behind you, lightly smiled. "Thanks." She said shyly.

Shawn, who had just come out the front door, made his way down the porch steps (avoiding Katjaa) and came to the small group's side.

"I'm totally gonna start that fence, today." Shawn said.

Duck giggled. "I wanna help!"

Shawn beamed, and tussled the boy's hair. "Well, I need a good foreman. You can sit on the tractor and yell at me whenever I take a water break."

"On the tractor?" Duck gasped. "Cool!"

Shawn grinned, and looked up to Cry. "You can help too, if you want." ...Then, he looked to you. "And [Your Name], feel free to _help me_ any time you want."

At first, you were fine, but as soon as Shawn gave that half-smile and gave a secretive wink, you felt your face grow hot. You quickly tore your gaze away from his and stared down at the ground.

"Okay, sure..." You mumbled awkwardly.

Shawn grinned and walked away, Duck quickly following. You looked up again, but this time, it was Katjaa, who was the next to speak.

"You can leave your little girl with me for a bit," She said, smiling friendly. "We can visit."

You nodded, before turning to Cry. "Sound okay with you?" You asked.

"Hmm?" Cry asked. He'd been looking... or glaring, rather... in the direction Shawn had gone... but he quickly looked back to you. Then to Clem.

"Oh!" He cleared his throat. "Uhh, yeah, that's fine."

"I like you, Cry," Kenny suddenly piped up, stepping between you guys and Katjaa. "And you, [Your Name]. I mean, Cry, you've got a strange name, but hey, so do a lot of people."

Cry chuckled. Kenny continued.

"We're heading up to Macon, once I get my truck fixed." Kenny said. "It's a six-seater. Enough to fit my family, and yours. ...Well, if you consider your little group here a family. I don't know. Anyway, if you were heading up that way, we could give you a ride." He paused. "Besides, I could use a guy who can... knock a couple heads together if he has to. What do you say?"

You looked up to Cry, who was widely smiling. He nodded. "That seems like a great offer, Kenny." He replied. "However, I gotta talk it over with Clementine. Oh, and [Your Name], too." Cry stole a quick glance in your direction as he spoke your name. Kenny nodded.

"Ah. Gotta consult the missus. I understand. Well, I'm going to go work on the truck. Feel free to pop on by if you wanna chat."

"Sure, Ken." Cry spoke confidently. You watched as Kenny head off in a different direction. By now, Katjaa and Clementine were wrapped up in their own conversation, so that only left you and Cry. Cry turned to you.

"What do you think, [Your Name]? Should we head up to Macon with Kenny?"

You considered it. Was there really a point in going to Macon? You didn't have any family or friends up there. In fact, you... didn't have anyone. You'd lived in an orphanag, growing up.

There was nothing left for you back where you lived. The only thing you wanted was to be sure Clementine and Cry were safe. The world was dangerous, and... infected with those... things. Whatever they were. You had to make sure that the two people you'd come to accept as your friends were okay. Besides... since this outbreak... you weren't sure if you'd had many friends left.

"[Your Name]?" Cry's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. You felt his hand rest on your shoulder. Your face heated in a blush, thought you weren't sure why. You looked back up at him. If you could see through his mask, you would have seen concern on his face.

"Are you sick?" He asked. "I kinda lost you for a second."

"N-No," You said. "I'm not sick, just... thinking. I think going to Macon sounds like a good idea, Cry. There must be something there that can help us get through this." You paused... then looked down to the hand on your shoulder. Cry flushed and quickly took his hand away. You looked at the ground... before back up to him. "But it's important that we talk to Clementine about it, first. She's been going through a lot lately."

"That's a good idea." Cry nodded and looked to Clementine. "Not now, though. She looks busy." He looked back to you. "Listen, I'm going to go find Hershel, and see if he can do anything extra to your leg. Okay? It's good that we make sure that your wound is going to be okay."

You slowly nodded. "Okay, Cry." You replied.

Cry smiled. "Okay." He said. "You should probably go make friends with Kenny. It was nice of him to offer us a ride to... what was it, Macon? Anyway, it's probably going to be good for us to make connections until the world starts turning again."

You quickly nodded. "I agree. Sounds good. I'll do that. And maybe I'll make friends with Shawn, too."

Suddenly, Cry's mouth curved downward, and you imagined him frowning. "Don't go near Shawn."

You blinked. "Why?"

He huffed. "Just don't, Princess. Trust me."

You felt your face grow hot at the nick name. You crossed your arms. "Cry!"

He chuckled at your reaction, before patting your shoulder. "What? You know you like it."

"I do no-"

He didn't wait for you to finish. He turned and began to walk away, heading off toward the direction of the barn. Your face was still flushed. You continued to cross your arms, but now, you turned, and made your way toward Kenny and his truck.

_Cry's P.O.V._

Shawn wasn't a bad guy. In fact, I had a lot of respect for him. He was a hard-working boy who loved his father, and only wanted to help people. He saved our lives. But each time he got a little too close to [Your Name], or flirted with her like how he did a bit ago, I suddenly feel like I want to get her as far away from him as possible. ...But why?

It's crazy. She was in my thoughts during the parts of the night that I couldn't sleep. And in my dreams, she was there, with a healed leg. She was running around and laughing, like the side of her that I imagine I haven't met yet, because of the circumstances.

I was upset when I woke, but then, I was happy, because I realized that the same person who invaded my thoughts was asleep beside me. She seemed to peaced while she slept... as if this whole fucking thing wasn't happening to the world. I really liked [Your Name]... and... if I'm honest... I hope she sticks around for a long while.

The barn was the first place I was heading. I knew that Hershel would be in there. Gut feeling. And as I walked in, I discovered I was right. There was the old man – shoveling hay with a shovel. I didn't have to say anything for him to notice me. As soon as I walked in, his eyes were on me. He didn't stop what he was doing, but he _was_ the first to speak.

"Get bored of your little girl? Or your girlfriend?" Hershel asked.

My face flushed. Thank God I was wearing my mask.

"She's not my girlfriend." I started. I got a sarcastic hum from Hershel, but I ignored that. "And no, actually, I wasn't bored. I came to see if you needed any help around the barn. Kenny's fixing his truck, and we're going to head out once it's ready."

"Ah." Hershel replied. "No, I don't need any help." He paused, stopping his work as he stared at his shovel. Then, sighing, he continued. "Never was the plan, having a farm like this."

I hummed. "It's nice."

Hershel scoffed. "Yeah, well, if you'd told me that this would be what I was doing for the next twenty years, I would have told you that you were full of crap."

"Well, I like it!" I said, my tone reassuring. "It's a nice place. Successful."

Hershel stopped, and raised his eyes to meet my face. He looked suddenly frustrated. I couldn't blame him. Everyone who saw me with my mask on did that, when they'd look up and expect to see my eyes. I watched as Hershel stabbed his shovel into the hay.

"Can I give you a word of advice, boy?" He asked.

I blinked. "Sure..." I said. "Fire away."

Hershel's eyebrows narrowed. "I don't know who you are, or what you do." He huffed. "I sure as hell don't know why you keep that mask over your face. But let me tell you something."

Oh boy.

"When someone asks for your name, your _real_ name, you give it. The world is going to shit, 'Cry'. And if you're going to make it, you've gotta rely on the honesty of _strangers_. ...But at least you have enough sense to listen to an old man when he wants to give you advice."

I slowly nodded. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was suddenly interrupted by a loud, ear-piercing scream. My eyes widened. Without another word to Hershel, I spun around and began to run off in the scream's direction. Behind me, I heard Hershel yell,

"Go! I'll get my gun!"

I sprinted through the area, looking left and right for Clementine and [Your Name]. I had to make sure they were safe. I had to protect them. I _had_ to.

As I continued to run, I eventually came upon a group of people. I slowed my pace as I approached... and as I arrived... my heart pounded. [Your Name] was struggling to pull the tractor off of Shawn's leg, which was wedged between it's tires, and the ground. Monsters were hanging over the half-finished fence. Shawn was screaming, trying his best to keep them away. Kenny was watching, a crying Duck in his arms. [Your Name] called for Kenny, but Kenny turned and sprinted off. My eyes widened at the man's choice.

"Fucking asshole!" I whispered. I sprinted forward and came to [Your Name]'s side. She looked up to me, her expression terrified.

"Cry!" She gasped. "I-I can't get the tractor off! The key is jammed, and it's too heavy to move!"

I gasped. "O-Okay. Try to keep the monsters away from Shawn! I'll move the tractor!"

She nodded, and we switched places. I tried to pull the tractor off with several attempts, but it was too heavy. It wouldn't budge. I continued to try, but at [Your Name]'s scream, I stopped. I turned to her, and watched as a monster held a tight grip on her forearm, ready to sink it's teeth into her arm.

I gasped, and yelled her name, before running over and grabbing her stomach. I pulled backward, and with enough strength, her arm slipped away from the monster's grasp. The two of us fell backward, her knocking into me, and me landing on my ass in the dirt. We both sad up – her in my lap – and watched with absolute horror as the fence broke, and the monsters fell on a screaming Shawn.

They dug their teeth into his neck and arms, blood soaking everywhere. [Your Name] shook in my grasp. I refused to keep tears from falling from my eyes and held her against me. She struggled to free herself, so she could save him, but I held her close.

"No," I whispered in her ear. "Let him go. He won't make it."

"N-No!" [Your Name] sobbed. "No! Fuuuuuck! Shawn! SHAWN!"

Then, there was gunshots. I looked over my shoulder and spotted a crying Hershel, shotgun in his hands. He dropped the weapon once the growling and chowing monsters were dead, and made his way to his son. He knelt beside the boy and pulled him into his arms.

"S-Shawn!" He gasped. "My boy..."

Shawn weakly looked up to his father. "D-Dad... I-I'm okay... I'm okay..."

Hershel knew otherwise. He sobbed.

"C-Cry... a-and... and [Your Name]... they tried to save me... they tried..."

"I know, son... I know..." Hershel whispered.

Then, silence. I watched as Shawn's shallow breaths ceased, and his chest remained still. Hershel sighed, sobbing, and held his son close.

[Your Name] was an absolute mess in my arms. She continued to cry... and... cry. She had turned and buried her face in my shoulder. As I stood, I pulled her up with me, and held her tightly as she cried. I rested my head on her shoulder and watched Hershel.

The old man stood.

"Get out..."

I blinked, confused. I watched as he spun around, a nasty glare set on the six of us.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

"I'm sorry..."

The soft apology came from Kenny. I looked over to him, taking note of how he still held Duck in his arms. Katjaa stood beside him, and on the ground beside her, Clementine. She looked terrified. I swallowed and extended an arm out to her. She was quick to approach, and once she arrived, I gave her a pat on the head. This was when [Your Name] finally let go of me and bent over, picking Clementine up and holding her in her arms. At first, Clementine looked uncomfortable, but then she relaxed and sunk into [Your Name]'s touch. [Your Name] held her tightly.

"Sorry?!" Hershel snarled, causing Clementine and Duck to flinch. "_Your_ son is alive! You don't _GET_ to be sorry!"

I walked forward and took [Your Name] and Clementine into my arms, before looking over to Kenny. Kenny took a moment, before looking back to me. We shared a look that said _Oh, fuck._

"Just go..." Hershel continued. "GET OUT, and NEVER come back!"

Suddenly, Kenny was at my side, his hand on my shoulder. I eyed him. He eyed me. And then sighed. He gave me a sorrow-filled look.

_"You've got that ride to Macon, if you want it."_

**Thank you for reading! Leave a review and tell a friend!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Four**_

_**Ain't Exactly Fort Knox**_

_Your P.O.V._

You'd cried yourself to sleep in the truck, on your way to Macon. You, Clementine, and Cry sat in the back while Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck sat in the front. Clementine had sat on the left side of the car, Cry in the middle, and you on the right. You were so upset. You didn't want to cry, but you'd just had the two biggest days of your life, and you finally couldn't bottle up your emotions any longer. You let them out, and eventually, you passed out, with your head rested against Cry's shoulder. His arm had been wrapped around you, keeping you close as he comforted you. However, his words of comfort didn't have as great of effect as his warmth did.

When you'd next woken, it was because the truck was out of gas, and you'd have to walk the rest of the way to wherever your destination was. You'd slid out of the car first, Cry behind you, and Clementine behind him. You stuck close to Cry, and actually let him hold you to him as you guys looked around.

Now... now, after being out of the truck for only a couple minutes, watched Kenny as he spotted a figure in the distance. The figure was leaned over, and... doing... something.

"Hey, we should ask that guy for some help!" Kenny suggested. "Maybe he's got some extra gas?"

"I don't know, Kenny..." Cry piped up. "There aren't a lot of people _alive_ right now. It might be best if we just assume it's a dead person and... try not to get it's attention."

"Oh, come on, Cry!" Kenny rolled his eyes as he flashed Cry a look. "If it's a live person, then we're missing an opportunity for some help. Just give it a chance."

You waited for Cry's reply, but there was none. He only watched as Kenny took a few steps away, and brought his hands up to his mouth.

"Hey there!" He said, calling to the figure. "You friendly? Truck's run outta gas."

The figure halted for a moment, and then leaned up. The six of you were immediately greeted with a rotten, hungry face. You felt anger swell up inside of you. Damn it, why hadn't Kenny just _listened_ to Cry?!

"Told you." Cry pointed out. Kenny scoffed, before swearing.

"Shit. It's a walker. Let's go!"

"'Walker'?" Cry asked. "Nice name."

"Move your ass, Sargent Sarcastic!" Kenny snapped.

Making sure Katjaa and Duck were with him, the redneck took off in the opposite direction of the now charging monster. Cry did the same – making sure you and Clementine were together, grabbing both of your hands, before sprinting in the opposite direction... toward Kenny. You struggled to keep up with his run, limping on your injured leg as you went. You made sure to keep Clementine close, worried that she'd be left behind. As you looked down at her, she looked up at you, and as if she'd read your mind, she gave you a thumbs up, as if to say _I'm fine! I can keep up!_.

And then, suddenly, out of no where, more walkers began to show up. They popped out of the shadows, chasing toward your group with extended arms, ready to grab. You kept close to Cry and Clementine, and after a moment, swooped down and pulled Clementine into your arms, carrying her. It slowed you down, but you didn't want to risk her being grabbed.

Cry noticed your change in pace and took Clementine from you, holding her close as the two of you struggled to keep up with Kenny's family. You watched with horror as Katjaa and Duck were suddenly tackled by a walker. Kenny screamed and pulled the walker off.

Katjaa pulled Duck into her arms and stood again, but was immediately met by another corpse before her. It reached out to grab her, but before it could do anything, a sudden bullet went flying through it's skull. Your eyes went wide. Who had a gun?!

You looked to Kenny, but his hands were empty. You looked to Cry, but all he had was Clementine. You then looked to your right, and your eyes laid upon a woman. She had short brown hair and bright green eyes. She held a hand-gun in her hands, a determined look on her face. She waved to your group.

"Come on!" She snapped. "Move your asses!"

Looking to Cry, and receiving an agreement, the two of you took off in that direction. Kenny and his family were close behind. Up ahead, an Asian man was waiting by the opened gate that led to the Everette Convenient Store.

He eyed you and your group, and hollered for you to go through the doors. You made sure Cry and Clementine got through first, before giving a nod of thanks to the strange man and woman, and then head after your companions. When everyone got inside, the gate was locked, and the doors were closed.

You walked to Clementine and Cry, who had picked a spot by the doors. Cry was crouching in front of Clementine, examining her for any injuries (though she'd never been grabbed). Clementine let him check, though they both knew she was okay.

Katjaa had seated duck by the pharmacy-counter and was wiping away walker-blood from his face and shirt. Duck looked scared, and miserable. Kenny was beside them, though his focus was upon the middle of the store, to the angry argument that was staring up.

"We can't take risks like this!" A tall woman with long brown hair and dark brown eyes glared at the medium-sized, lighter brown haired woman that had saved your group.

"And we can't just let people _die_, either." Your savior retorted.

"When I say that door stays shut no matter what, I _FUCKING _mean it!" The first woman snarled. "We don't know who these people are," The woman gestured to you and Cry, before gesturing to Kenny and Katjaa. "They could be dangerous!"

"Shit! That gunshot led them right to us!"

The next person to speak was a very tall, buff, incredibly pissed looking old man who stood only a little ways away from the tall, also incredibly pissed younger woman. You eyed the old man, and felt fear grow inside you. You already didn't like him.

"Where the hell is your humanity?!" Your savior snarled to the old man, putting her hand on her hip. "They could have died out there!"

You gasped as Cry chimed in. "We have _kids_ with us!" He pointed out, gesturing to Clementine and Duck.

The old man growled, before pointing to Clementine. "I see _one_ little girl."

You gasped again (geeze... everything was freaking you out) as you felt someone grab your hand. You looked down, and saw Clementine standing there, looking up at you. You blinked.

"What is it?" You whispered. She winced.

"I... I have to pee," She informed.

You bit your lip. "In a minute, sweetie."

She sighed, and looked away. Behind you guys, outside the gate of the building walkers growled and moaned, eager to get at you and eat your flesh. You shivered. This wasn't going to end well. Everyone tried their best to keep their voices down.

"They've got children, Lilly!" The Asian man argued. Lilly looked to him.

"Those things outside don't care," She argued.

"Maybe you should go join them, then. You'd have something in common."

The diss came from Kenny, who had moved away from his family's side, and made his way to Cry's. You could tell Cry was holding in a chuckle. You knew he wanted to high-five Kenny.

"God, DAMN IT, Lilly!" The old man suddenly snapped. "You have to control these people!"

The wall woman, known as Lilly, looked to the old man. "Carly and Glenn just RAN out there!"

You blinked. So your female savior was Carly, and the male savior was Glenn.

"I don't give a flying fuck!" The old man argued. "We're running low on time!"

Cry scoffed. "That chick," He gestured to Lilly. "Is the leader here. But it looks like she's loosing control of her people."

"If you were in my shoes," Lilly snarled, glaring to Cry. You felt the hairs on your neck rise. Anger boiled inside you. Lilly continued. "You'd be the-"

"Holy shit..." The old man gasped. You looked to him, then followed the direction he was looking. Your eyes landed on Duck.

"Son of a bitch!" The old man continued. "One of them is bitten!"

"Bitten?" Cry rose a brow, looked to Duck, and then frowned. "He wasn't bitten!"

The old man glared. "Like hell he wasn't!" He began to take steps toward Katjaa and Duck. "We have to end this. Now."

Your eyes widened. "No!" You gasped.

Kenny was quick to move in front of the old man, blocking him from his family.

"Over my dead body!" Kenny snarled.

The old man's glare deepened. "We'll dig ONE hole."

"No!" Katjaa yelled. "I'm cleaning him up. There's no bite! He's fine-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING PEOPLE GET IT?!" The old man suddenly burst out. You winced, and moved closer to Cry. "WE'VE ALREADY _SEEN_ THIS HAPPEN! We let some with the bite stay... and... a-and we all end up bitten!"

"Shut. UP!" Kenny rose his voice.

"We have to throw him out!" The old man snarled. "Or... smash his head in!"

"Kenny!" Katjaa screamed, throwing her arms over Duck. "Stop him!"

Kenny glared, before looking to Cry. You tensed.

"Cry, what do we do about this guy?!" You asked.

You gasped as Cry moved away from your side. You wanted to protest, but you kept your mouth shut. Cry looked pissed (or if you'd seen his face, you'd seen his angry expression). He began to make his way toward Kenny.

"Dad, it's just a boy!" Lilly suddenly protested, turning to the old man.

The old man sighed. "Lilly, you know how serious this is!"

"He's just a child..." Lilly mumbled. "You need to calm down. We just have to get out of here."

"We kick his ass!" Cry finally replied to Kenny. Your eyes widened further.

"That's what I'm thinking!" Kenny agreed. Cry took his place beside Kenny. Kenny crossed his arms.

"Everybody CHILL THE FUCK OUT!" Carley snapped, coming out of her silence.

"Nobody's doing anything!" Lilly agreed.

"Shut up, Lilly!" Her father snapped. He turned to Carley. "And you. Shut the fuck up." He began to flash everyone a look, including you. "They will find us. And they will get in here. And then, _none_ of this will fucking matter! But right now, we're about to be _trapped in here_," He gestured to Duck, then went face-to-face with Kenny. "with one of those _things_!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny asked.

"He's BITTEN!" The old man snarled. "That's how you TURN!"

"He's _not_ bitten!" Katjaa argued, still examining Duck. "Cry, stop this! It's upsetting him!"

Cry turned to look to Katjaa as she addressed him, giving a sympathetic look (or at least, you imagined he was) to Duck, before turning back to the old man.

"Oh, I'm upsetting him!" The old man said, sarcastically. "Hah-hah! Upsetting is getting EATEN ALIVE!"

"It's a big deal!" Lilly agreed.

"It's Larry, right?" Cry asked the old man. The old man nodded. "Man, this is Kenny's son!"

Larry scoffed. "Look around, dumb-ass. I got a daughter in here. _You've_ got a daughter in here... _and_ a wife! Get your head out of your ass, boy!"

"We've _all_ got people in here!" Cry pointed out. "And we can figure this out without killing anybody. There's another way!"

"Yeah." Larry growled. "With a shovel." He turned back to Kenny.

"I'm gonna _kill_ him, Kat!" Kenny announced. "Just worry about Duck."

"[Your Name]!" Came a sudden tone. You blinked, tearing yourself away from the argument for a split second to look in Clementine's direction. You hadn't realized she'd left your side, but she had, and now she was on the other side of the room. She was looking into the bathroom, but she looked scared.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"There's someone in there..." She said.

"It's just locked." I began to wave off the subject, turning myself back to the argument. "The key's behind the counter... probably."

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy, here!" Larry growled. "I'm just looking out for my daughter!"

"No," Kenny snarled. "You're just the guy who's arguing for killing a kid!"

"He's _covered_ in muck," Larry retorted. "She'll find the bite, watch!"

"She won't!" Kenny snapped.

"And if she does?" Larry asked. No reply came from Kenny. Or Cry. Larry continued.

"The first thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his Mom's face. Then, when he's dead," He turned to Cry. "He'll probably go after _your_ little girl. She'll turn fast. Then, there'll be _three_."

"He's just a little boy!" Cry scoffed. "I think we can handle him."

"A little boy?!" Larry laughed. "He'll be an uncontrollable man-eater!"

"It's not gonna happen!" Kenny snapped.

"It is!" Larry snapped back. "And we're tossing him out _now_!"

Cry uncrossed his arms. "Knock this guy out, Kenny."

"Happily." Kenny complied. He rose his arm and struck forward, delivering a blow to Larry's face. Larry grunted as he was punched, leaning backward for a moment.

"Jesus!" Someone called out.

Larry turned back suddenly, and with a balled up fist, delivered a punch of his own to Kenny's face. The punch was much harder, and Kenny gasped, falling on his ass. You moved to help, but before you could take three steps, a sudden, high-pitched scream filled your ears. Everyone froze. You looked to the right, and as you did, you saw Clementine backing away from the bathrooms, a walker following after her. You screamed.

"CLEMENTINE!"

You bolted forward, but forgot all about your injured leg, and tripped. You gasped as your body fell forward, and onto your chest. You groaned, and pulled yourself up, before looking around. You saw Clementine quickly backing away from the walking corpse, but not quick enough. The walker latched it's hand around her ankle. You screamed again, calling out her name as you quickly limped forward. You grabbed the walker by the shoulders and pulled it off.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" You screamed. You gasped as it spun around and latched itself onto you, shoving you into the wall. You gasped, struggling to keep it away from your skin. It tried to bite, it's teeth only inches away. You struggled, panting as your arms began to give way. Suddenly...

"[YOUR NAME]!"

A loud gun shot sounded after Cry called your name. The walker fell to your feet, a chunk of it's skull missing. You panted as you looked at it, before raising your eyes to meet the gunshot's owner. Carly stood there, her gun aimed at the walker. When it didn't move, she lowered the gun. And looked to you.

"You okay?" She asked. You panted, looking to her. You nodded.

"Just great, thanks." You replied. She nodded back to you.

Across the room, you caught Cry looking to you (or you assumed he was, since his head was pointed in your direction). His mouth quivered, and you imagined he looked really worried. You gave him a light thumbs-up to show you're fine. He gave a relieved sigh.

"U-Uh... guys..." Glenn, who had been quiet almost this entire time, just now decided to speak up, as pounding began to sound at one of the door's in the drug shop. The walkers pounded hard against the door, their hungry moans growing louder and louder.

"Everybody down!" Lilly snapped, her voice a hushed whisper. "Stay quiet!"

You bit your lip, and turning around, you grabbed Clementine before making your way to Cry. Cry immediately took both of you into his arms, before the three of you crouched behind one of the mini-isle walls in the middle of the store.

The pounding continued. Clementine shook in your hold. You held her tightly and smoothed her hair, whispering comforting words... much like a mother would with her daughter. Cry covered over the two of you protectively, keeping a hand on your back as he stared at the door.

"They're gonna get in!" Larry whispered.

"Shut up!" Kenny's hushed tone came from a different part of the store. Clementine shook harder. You held her tighter.

"Shh... Clementine, sweetie..." You whispered soothing words. "It's okay..."

Cry squeezed your shoulder, comfortingly. He knew you weren't so sure, yourself, if everything was okay. You needed the reassurance. You reached up with one hand, took his, and squeezed it. He squeezed it back... and you blushed again.

Suddenly, there was gun-shot noises. _Machine_-gun-shot noises. You became a little more hopeful. The walkers' banging stopped, and their groans and growls grew quiet as they began to walk away.

"Is that the military?" Cry dare spoke.

"I don't know." Lilly replied.

"Thank God for whatever it is." Glenn sighed, his voice a little louder.

"We almost DIED because of this BITCH and her ITCHY TRIGGER FINGER!" Larry stood and began to make his way toward Carly, glaring as he did so. You glared as you rose, Clementine and Cry rising with you. "That was stupid!" He continued.

You had it. You let go of Cry's hand and left his side, leaving Clementine with him. You approached Larry.

"You know what, you piece of shit?!" You snarled. Larry's eyes widened as he looked to you.

"P-Princess, easy..." Cry started. You ignored him.

"No! I'm sick of your bullshit, Larry. Stop being an asshole and acting like you know everything!" You growled. You walked up to him. His glare deepened, but it didn't intimidate you. "You think you're hot stuff, don't you?!" You snarled. "Grow a fucking pair and take responsibility! Don't keep blaming shit on other people! Learn to take on a positive attitude, and for Christ's sake, don't-... Ah!"

You'd gone to jab a finger in his chest, and as you did, his hand tightly clamped over your wrist, almost smashing it completely. You cried out from pain and tried to withdrawal your hand, but his grip was too tight.

"Shut up, you little cunt." Larry growled. "Before you get slapped like that other bitch."

"FUCK YOU!"

Cry's voice suddenly snarled. You watched as a fist was delivered to Larry's face. Larry gasped and fell backward, letting go of your wrist. You stumbled backward (as you had been trying to pull away before he let go), and stumbled into Cry's chest. He caught you gracefully, before examining your wrist.

You stared up at Cry, a shocked expression on your face, before whirrling back toward Larry. The old man was recovering from the punch and was now advancing back toward you and your protector.

"You!" Larry snapped. "You God-damned... augh!"

Cry protectively placed you behind him. Larry had been approaching, but he suddenly grimaced and keeled over, putting his hands over his heart.

"Dad!" Lilly yelled. Larry groaned and fell over. Lilly was at his side in an instant.

"What the fuck?! Was _he_ the one bitten?!" Cry asked.

Lilly glared. "No!" She snapped. "Don't be crazy! It's his heart!"

Larry groaned. "M-My pills..."

"U-Uh... Nitroglycerin pills?"

Katjaa's voice suddenly sounded. She approached Larry and Lilly slowly. Lilly nodded.

"Yes! We're out!" Lilly gasped. She stood up. "We've been trying to get into the pharmacy since we got here." She looked to Cry. You glared, but she ignored you. "Please, try to get in there! Behind the counter, where the pills are..."  
"There's probably another entrance." Cry sighed. "Maybe through the office?"

Carly's eyebrows narrowed. "How do you know that's an office?" She asked.

Cry looked to her and shrugged. "Educated guess?"

"It doesn't matter." Lilly said. "We _need_ Nitroglycerin pills." She looked to Cry again. "_Please_ get in there. I have to keep an eye on my Dad."

Cry frowned, before looking to Kenny. Kenny looked back to Cry, before giving an irritated huff. "Everyone get comfy and look for anything useful," The redneck ordered. "We may be in here a while."

"I'm starting to think this Drugstore isn't a permanent solution..." Glenn mumbled. Kenny turned to look at the Asian kid.

"You're right." Kenny agreed. "This ain't exactly Fort Knox."

"What do you suggest?" Cry asked, turning to Glenn. You watched as the masked man put an arm around you and pulled you closer to him. You didn't argue. He was being protective.

"We need as much gas as possible," Glenn started. "So we can all get out of downtown Macon. Fast."

"Agreed." Cry agreed.

"Then I'll head out and get gas. There's a motel not too far from here. Out toward the end of Peachtree. I'll make my way towards it, then loop back, siphoning what I can."

"You're insane!" Cry suddenly chuckled.

"Well, it's gotta get done! Plus, I'm quick," Glenn added. "And I know Macon."

"Local?" Cry asked.

"Born and raised!" Glenn said, speaking with pride.

"If you do that..." Cry started. You watched as the brunette reached into his jacket and pulled out a Walkie-Talkie. "Here's a Walkie-Talkie if you get in a tight spot. ...Hopefully, you won't need it."

Glenn grinned and accepted the Talkie, sliding it onto his belt.

"Cool!"

"Clementine has the other one," Cry informed. "Check in with her, and get back as soon as you can."

"And you... what's your name?" Kenny asked suddenly, turning to Lilly.

"It's Lilly." Lilly reminded. "My Dad's Larry."

"Keep a good eye on him," Kenny said, speaking a little more kindly. "These boys will work on getting your medicine."

"That's right." Cry agreed.

"And you," Kenny said, turning to the chubby blonde-haired man you hadn't noticed before. "Keep an eye on that door. You're our look-out."

"It's Doug," He announced his name. "You got it."

"And I'm Carly," Carly piped in, standing next to Doug.

"Okay Carley," Kenny started. "You'll shift in with Doug when he needs it. For now, get some rest. You're a good shot, ma'am, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"You got it, boss." Carly agreed, nodding.

Kenny nodded, before turning to Cry. "Now, get him those pills."

Cry nodded. He replied to Kenny, and then Kenny replied to Cry, starting up a conversation. However, you didn't hear it. Your mind was focused on the _skinny _blond-haired man, who was crouched in the corner, a hand on Clementine's shoulder while the two had a conversation. You blinked.

"Who's that?" You asked.

There was a pause. Lilly looked up.

"Oh look, he's back!"

You tilted your head to the side, confused. You watched as the blonde man stood, and made his way closer. He looked SO FUCKING FAMILIAR. With his blonde hair and blue eyes. Where had you seen him before? You watched as Lilly left her father's side for a moment, and approached.

"Did you find a way in?" She asked.

The male shook his head. "No. It's definitely locked. I had to hide in the office, though, when the walkers came by. I heard everything. What's going on? Do we have new people?"

That voice. You knew it. You _knew_ it.

_ "Pewdiepie?"_


	5. Chapter 5

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Five**_

_**While A May Stand For Awesome, F Stands For Felix**_

_Your P.O.V._

"P... PewDiePie?" You suddenly asked. Recognition shown in the blonde's face. He looked up, raising his eyebrows.

"You know me?" He asked suddenly. Lilly looked confused.

"PewDiePie?" She asked. "What's a PewDiePie?"

You gasped. "Oh my God! Cry! It's-"

"Pewds!" Cry gasped. Felix's eyes widened.

"No way! CRY?!"

"OH MY GOD!"

Cry left your side, and ran to Felix. Felix ran to Cry, and they collided. Cry wrapped his arms around Felix and gave him a tight hug, and Felix did the same.

"Oh my God! OH MY GOD!" Cry kept repeating. "Felix! I can't believe you're here, man!"

"Cry!" Felix spoke excitedly. "Jesus Christ! How are you here?!"

The two pulled away, big smiles on both of their faces. By this point, Lilly had given up, and after telling them to be a little quieter, went to go attend to her father.

Cry patted Felix on the shoulder. "I didn't think there'd be anyone I'd know here!"

"Me either!" Felix replied. "Holy fuck, this is amazing!"

You smiled, happiness spreading through you as you watched the two get along. It wasn't long before Cry's mind finally wandered back to you, and he looked in your direction. He smiled again, and motioned for you to step forward. You did.

"Felix, meet [Your Name]."

"Hi!" You said.

Felix smiled. "How's it goin', bro?" He asked.

"She's a fan of ours." Cry mentioned.

Felix smiled. "Oh, cool! Brofist?"

You beamed. You got to Brofist _the _PewDiePie. You raised your fist and bumped it into Felix's.

"Nice!" You laughed.

"How did you get here, Felix?" Cry asked.

Felix's eyes watched Cry for several minutes, before the young blonde Swede shrugged and slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Well... Marzia and I flew here to visit some of her friends. Those... things started attacking about an hour after we landed. We, um... I... I got separated from Marzia when we were running away from those monster things-"

"Walkers."

"Walkers? Okay, cool!" Felix commented. "(Glad I finally have a name for them...) Anyway, I couldn't find her... I'm still looking... I'm really worried. I eventually stumbled upon Lilly and her little group." His voice lowered. "I didn't exactly like being in their company, but I knew I'd have better chances of surviving if I'd stuck with them, and finding Marzia. So I stayed." Felix's eyes brightened. "And now you're here!"

"I'm sorry about Marzia... We'll find her, Pewds. I'll help you." Cry suddenly grinned. "Well, me and the Princess here-"

"I'm not your Princess, Cry."

"Yes you are. Hush. Anyway, we both woke up in a forest. I had actually found her in a crashed car. I drug her out. She had this wound on her leg... actually, it's still there. But after Clem saved us from a walker, we met these guys who took us to this farm, and this guy's dad treated her wound, and... long story short, we hooked up with Kenny's family there and drove here. Carly and Glenn saved us from being eaten."

"Well, I'm glad she did." Felix sighed. "I was starting to wonder how things turned out for you. I can't contact any of my friends. Service is down on my phone."

"Ours, too." Cry replied.

Felix turned to you, and grinned. "And I'm glad you've taken care of him. He couldn't have made it on his own."

"Hey!"

"It's only true, Cry."

You opened your mouth to speak, but another voice cut you off. You snapped your head to the left in just enough time to see Kenny walking toward the three of you.

"Hey." Kenny said softly. The three of you waved. Kenny blinked, before looking to you and Cry. Then to Felix. "Hey, uh..."

"Felix."

"Felix. Right. May I borrow these two for a moment?"

"'Course, man." Felix replied, his Swedish accent showing. Kenny eyed him curiously, before grabbing your and Cry's wrists, and dragging you to an empty part of the drug store. Once you were out of earshot, Kenny kept his tone low as he spoke to you two.

"Okay. First of all," Kenny started. He looked to Cry. "Maybe punching that guy was not such a good idea."

Cry blinked. "We punched him twice."

"Yeah, and both times were bad." Kenny sighed. "These people aren't going to trust us if we're starting violence."

Cry blinked again. You knew he wanted to say something, but wisely, he didn't say it, instead, he settled with, "You're right. We won't do that next time."

Kenny huffed. "Right. Well, anyway, Katjaa and I appreciate your support. It really shows that you're a good person..." He looked to you. "Both of you... and that we can trust you."

"Yeah," You said softly. "'Of course, Kenny. We're all a group. We gotta watch out for each other."

"The Princess is right-"

"Still not your Princess."

"Hush. We're here for you, Ken."

Kenny smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"How's Duck doing?" You asked. Kenny's smile fell.

"He's fine. That asshole scared him, though." He replied. "We're lucky as hell nobody got nabbed on the way in here."

"No kiddin'." Cry sighed.

"How's Clementine?"

You looked over your shoulder, eyes scanning the room. They eventually landed on the young girl. She was sitting on a seat, Felix sitting next to her. The two were chatting, but... Clementine looked off. Felix had noticed, apparently.

"Her family is dead..." Cry said softly.

"It's awful..." You chimed in, looking back to Kenny. He shifted awkwardly, from one foot to the other.

"Yeah, well... she seems to be handling herself alright. I mean, Cry, you said that she spent days on her own. That takes toughness. She's a good kid. Good head on her shoulders."

"Yeah," You chimed in. "She's great. I really like her."

Kenny suddenly smirked. "You know, [Your Name], with you and Cry protecting her like you have, it almost looks like you guys really are a young family."

You flushed.

Cry awkwardly coughed. "How about your family, Ken? Are they okay?"

"We're just fine," Kenny said quickly. "Considering..."

"What's the plan?" Cry asked. You felt his arm come around your shoulders. You didn't protest.

"Hang tight, I suppose." Kenny replied. "Seems pretty dangerous out there, so, we oughta wait for things to clear up."

Suddenly, his expression faltered. You watched him curiously, as his face showed sorrow. He looked down at his feet.

"Back on Hershel's farm..." He mumbled.

"Yeah?" Cry asked.

"We let him die, Cry. That blood is on our hands... you know."

You frowned. _No, YOU ran off like a pansy and left Cry and I to deal with Shawn alone! You were no help! Fuck you! We did it all ourselves!_

"It happened pretty fast..." You spoke gently.

"I guess." Kenny said, looking to you. "But I can't stop seeing him in my head."

"We can't kill ourselves over it," You continued.

"WE killed that boy!" Kenny snapped, interrupting you. "We could have saved him together!"

_But YOU fucked up. YOU killed that boy!_

"We did what we could," Cry spoke in. "Bad things happen. We didn't make a choice that killed Shawn. You think you do when you look back on it..." Cry paused. "But in the moment, when things are _really_ out of control, we don't have any choice."

"I guess..." Kenny whispered.

"Try to let it go..." Cry continued.

Kenny nodded... but didn't say anything else. Instead, he turned and walked away, back to his family, leaving you and Cry in the corner. Cry took his arm off your shoulder as you turned to him.

"Poor Kenny..." You whispered.

"Hmm." Was Cry's reply. He then looked up, and around. His eyes looked to the office door, and then back to you.

"I'm going to try to get into that pharmacy, like we mentioned earlier." He said.

You nodded. "Okay."

He lightly frowned. "But I need you to stay here, Princess."

You whined. "Whaaaat? Come on!"

"Your leg is still injured, no matter how much you ignore it." Cry pressed on. "You need to relax. I want you to stay with Felix or Kenny, for now, while I try to get some stuff done."

"But Cry..."

"Hey."

You looked up to him, and blushed as he cupped your cheek with his hand. You couldn't see his eyes, but you could tell he was being serious.

"Please."

You stared for several more moments, before sighing and looking away.

"Okay, Cry..."

Cry chuckled. "Good."

You expected the man to walk off immediately, but as his lips placed themselves on your _**forehead**_, you thought otherwise. You blushed. The kiss ended as quick as it started. He gave you a small smile, before walking off toward the direction of the pharmacy.

_Cry's P.O.V._

Okay. Maybe I had just a _tiny_ crush on [Your Name].

I hoped it wasn't obvious. I mean, keeping her close all the time wasn't helping keep the fact a secret. Blushing like an idiot all the time also wasn't helping (thank GOD that she couldn't see through my mask). And kissing her on the forehead definitely didn't make things any more secretive. But after what she did... standing up to Larry like that, I feel like my feelings for her went from _"She's a good friend." _to _"My heart is pounding and my palms are sweating. Why can't I get her out of my head?!"_.

It was the way she came out of her shell toward Larry. During the whole argument with our new group, she'd been quiet, and only sprung into action to save Clementine. That was awesome, even if she'd slipped before hand. But the way she marched right up to Larry, forgetting about her leg completely, and telling him off, was absolutely amazing. It proved that she could stand up for herself and defend the people she cared about.

...I like that in a girl. A strong, independent woman. ...Okay, maybe _independent_ was an overstatement for [Your Name]. ...Or maybe it wasn't. With the injury on her leg, she'd been needing a lot of support for getting around. But now that I think about it, if her leg were to be fine, and she'd act like she usually has her whole life, I imagine she'd be very helpful and independent.

She's been acting more and more like how I assume she usually is, and that's a good thing. Either that, or the whole "Zombie Apocalypse" thing is changing her into a different person. ...But doesn't it do that to everyone?

So, yes, I'll admit it. I have a crush on [Your Name]. We've only known each other for a couple days, and now, it feels like I've known her forever. I'd like to get to know her better, and... maybe bring our friendship to a different level. Maybe. _If_ I even have a chance with her. She's so amazing and... I don't know if she'd fall for a guy like me.

Even though she blushes every time any part of me touches her. It's adorable, really. Which is why I've started to do it more often. The way her face gets all red, and she starts acting all awkward... it was _so_ cute.

As I began to walk through the Drug-Store, heading toward the office, I happened to pass Felix and Clementine. When the adult Swede had noticed me, he reached out and gently took the sleeve of my jacket. I'd stopped in my step. I raised an eyebrow to him in a questioning gesture, but thanks to my mask, he couldn't see it.

"What are you up to, Cry?" The blond asked, lightly tilting his head to the side. "Clementine and I were just talking about her friends at school. You should join us!"

I lightly smiled, and shook my head. "I can't," I replied. "Larry needs those meds for his heart... and if I want to get on these people's good sides, then I need to get into that pharmacy."

Felix hesitated, a thought processing through his head. "Can I come with?" He spoke at last. "I've been trying to get in there since we got here. I wouldn't mind continuing to try."

I quickly shook my head, raising my hands up. "No, that's fine." I replied. "I appreciate the offer, but... right now, I need you to..." I stole a glance toward [Your Name]'s direction. She'd left the corner I'd left her at, and wandered over to Lilly. [Your Name] must have said something helpful, because in a matter of seconds, Lilly had pulled her to the ground beside her. [Your Name]'s hands were lightly touching Larry's chest. Larry looked pissed, but said nothing. I bit my lip out of nervousness, before turning back to Felix.

"I need you to take care of the princess for me," I gestured to [Your Name], "She doesn't like waiting around and resting, and I know that if I take my eye off of her for two seconds, she'll attempt to try and help out. Her leg needs to heal... I need her to sit down for a bit. Can you watch her for me?"

I blinked as Felix suddenly chuckled. "Geeze, Cry, you treat her like a child."

"Well!" I exclaimed. "She doesn't listen when I tell her to rest! She needs to be watched."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. Whatever," He replied. "I'll keep an eye on her."

I smiled. "Thanks, man."

He gave a nod, and that was the end of our discussion. I turned away and began to make my way toward the office door. Beside it, Larry sat, his head bent down, his fingers clasped together... hands lightly shaking. I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for him. Sure, the guy was an asshole, but maybe his temper was off more than usual, because of the world ending. You know. That does that to people. As I approached, he looked up to me and gave me a nasty expression, but then quickly looked away. I lightly frowned... but said nothing. [Your Name] smiled at me as I passed, and gave a little wave. I stopped in my step, and smiled back.

"You okay, here?" I whispered.

She slowly nodded. "I'm fine," She replied. "Just helping Lilly out with her Dad. We're visiting."

"Your friend here isn't half bad." Lilly replied. She suddenly looked me up and down. "I didn't catch your name."

I huffed. "Cry." I tried to sound nice-spirited... which, I was. Most of the time.

"Cry?" Lilly asked. "Strange name. What's with the mask?"

[Your Name] beat me to it. "It's just his thing." She replied, turning to the long-haired brunette. "He's had it on for as long as anyone could remember. It's like... his signature."

"I see..." Lilly mumbled. She eyed me again, before turning toward her father.

"Have you found the pills yet, 'Cry'?" She asked.

I shook my head. I didn't like the bitterness in her voice. "No," I willed myself to stay calm. "I'm still working on that. I'll get them to you soon."

"Please hurry," Lilly sighed. "My Dad _needs_ those pills."

"'Course." I replied. I turned to [Your Name]. "Hey, Princess, Felix is free for a chat, if you'd like to get to know him."

[Your Name]'s face flushed at the nick-name, but for once, she didn't correct me. She looked to me and beamed, her [eye color] eyes shining. "Really?" She gasped. "I'd love to get to know him!"

I grinned. "Cool! Talk to him whenever. Imma go look for those pils now."

[Your Name] grinned back. "'Kay, Cry. Be careful."

"Always." I concluded.

It was a fucking blood bath. Whoever had been staying in here had died not too long ago.

Blood covered the floor, and two used sleeping-bags. Furniture was pushed or knocked over. Things were broken. The room smelled of dirt and death. I didn't want to venture any further in, but... I knew I had to get to the pharmacy, in which the door to that was only on the other side of the room, being blocked by a desk.

Avoiding things as I stepped, I moved further inside the room, and head toward the pharmacy door. The word _Pharmacy: Staff Only_ was printed cross the top. I approached the door slowly, before putting my hands on the desk. I began to pull, and as I did, a sudden, second pair of much smaller hands came to my aid. I looked down to my left... and saw Clementine's face smiling up at me.

I blinked. "Clem! I didn't even hear you walk in here."

Clementine's smile widened. "I was quiet. I thought you could use some help."  
"You shouldn't be in here," I mumbled, glancing at the bloody scene behind her. "Not with-..." I stopped, watching as she stared up at me with a puppy-dog look. I grinned, before reaching up and ruffling her hair. "You're adorable, you know that?"

Small giggles slipped past her lips. She shook her head. That only caused me to chuckle. "Okay, you can help. I could use it. How about you look around and see if you can find anything useful or important, okay?"

Clementine nodded, taking her hands away from the desk, and taking a couple steps backward. "Okay!" She answered, and ran off. I smiled to myself, before chuckling again, and looking back to the desk. Now, taking hold of it with both hands again, I put in some strength and pulled it backwards. The desk slid easily, and it wasn't long before the desk was out of the way of the door. Satisfied, I reached to turn the knob.

Locked.

_Of 'course it was._


	6. Chapter 6

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Where Loyalty May Lay**_

_Your P.O.V._

You'd had to wait about an hour or so before any progress was being made. After you'd spent a little while getting to know Lilly and Larry, you'd checked in with Kenny's family, gave your thanks to Carly for saving your ass, and then made your way to Felix. The blonde Swede was more than happy to see you, and you'd beamed when he'd said you'd seemed like an awesome person. You guys spent what seemed like forever getting to know each other.

Felix admitted that he was missing Martzia, his girlfriend, more than anything right now. You'd comforted him and told him that the two of them would be together soon... and he seemed grateful for the support. Now, about an hour after the Prince Of Masks had been running around, trying to get that damned pharmacy opened, he'd somehow convinced Doug that it was safe to go out into the streets. As he left the office door and made his way through the Drug-Store, planning to leave the building and venture out into the walker-infested road, you'd reached out and took hold of his hand as he'd passed you.

He'd instantly stopped in his step and turned to you, and you could just imagine him raising his eyebrow to you in question. Felix also gave you a curious gaze, then helped you get to your feet as you attempted to stand. Now, your leg felt ten times better than it did the day before, and you felt like you could take on just about anything.

"I want to help," You finally told Cry, once you got onto your feet. "I'm tired of sitting around. I feel useless, Cry. I want to help get things accomplished. I don't want to feel lazy and just... a waste of space, and an extra mouth to feed." You looked up, and attempted to look into his eyes, but instead hid away an irritated expression as you realized his mask was on. Damn those poker-face eyes. "Please..." You lowered your voice into a whisper. "_Please_ let me help."

You knew Cry didn't know what to say. He stared at you, lips lightly parted as he thought about his decision. You'd put on your best puppy-eyes look. You'd seen Clementine do the same thing and succeed when she'd wanted a piece of candy that Cry had on him (for some reason...) and tried to do the same thing. As his mouth opened wider to protest, you beat him to speaking.

"You've been calling me a 'Princess', Cry." You pointed out. "If I'm a 'Princess', then I have higher authority over you. So, by the Princess' orders, you _have _to take me with you into the streets."

Cry's mouth shut, and he made a sort of half-huff, half-groaning noise. You knew he didn't want to take you with him... because of your leg. But you had this urge to _prove_ you weren't useless, and that you injury wouldn't stop you from helping out.

Finally, he gave in, and gave a soft nod.

"Okay, Princess..." He sighed. "You can come along. But you have to _be careful_. I don't want you getting hurt."

Excitement swelled in your chest. You gave a happy squeal and tightened your grip on his hand, before letting go.

"Thanks, Cry! I promise, you won't regret bringing me along!"

The masked-man cracked a soft smile, and nodded again. "Sure, Princess. Sure."

The two of you had given Felix a farewell wave, with a promise that you'd be back in a little bit, before heading off toward the entrance of the drug store. Doug, who had been chatting with Glenn (who had apparently made it back just fine, thank God) flashed you and Cry a smile as you two approached.

"Hey, guys. Ready to head out?"

"Yep!" You were the first to reply. "Ready."

"Cool," Doug smiled. He gave a small nod to Glenn, before turning and opening up the doors of the drug-store. You gave a look to Cry, before following Doug into the fresh-air. The first thing you noticed when you'd stepped out, were the black bars of the tall gate that covered the drug-store's entrance. Then, you'd noticed the bunch of walkers that were roaming the streets, ready to chow down on whatever they could get their hands on.

As the three of you approached the gates, you all crouched, and you looked to Cry. Cry was studying the streets, before tilting his head toward you. He placed a hand on your back and pulled you a little closer to him, before gesturing to the road.

"See that walker across the street?" He whispered. "Trapped? Over there?"

You followed the direction he was looking and eventually found yourself looking upon a trapped, African-American rotting walker. It snarled and groaned as it attempted over and over to free itself, but it had no such luck. You gave a small nod. Cry continued.

"He's one of the employees here at the Drug-Store. Clementine and I searched all over this damned place for the keys. Didn't find a single fucking one. So I'm guessing that _he_ has the keys on him. We have to try to sneak over there and check."

You thought about the situation for a moment, debating whether or not going out into the streets was a good idea. You'd wanted to before, but seeing how there was walkers everywhere, it suddenly didn't seem so... safe. You weren't exactly ready to have your arms torn off.

"There are so many of them," You commented. "Don't you think we should wait until they clear away?"

"No," Doug chimed in. You looked to him out of the corner of your eye, but he was still faced toward the road. "Larry needs those pills. And if that guy across the street has the keys, then I don't want to wait around a while." He paused, before turning to give you a brown-eyed gaze. You couldn't help but notice his overly-bushy eyebrows. "We need a distraction for the walkers." He finished.

"Yeah, but what can we use?" You asked. You turned to Cry. "We need something noisy. I'd suggest getting a person to run around and play bait for a couple minutes, but... that doesn't seem like the safest thing."

"No way," Cry agreed. "It has to be something beside a living thing. ...Like a building, maybe. With alarms."

"How about that TV store over there?" Doug suddenly suggested. The two of you stole a glance in his direction, before looking to where he was pointing. Across the street, to your left, a nice little TV store sat. The TV screens were off, but there was a glass window. ...Easy enough to shatter. If the electricity was still on, then maybe the alarms could distract the walkers, if...

"We can break the glass!" Cry whispered, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Definitely," Doug agreed. "But... how?"

You tore your gaze away from the Television shop and began to look around the small area you had. There was nothing on your side of the bars. ...But on the other side, just a little ways away, there was a nice, heavy red brick. Your eyes would have seemed to shine once they landed on the oh-so-convenient way to break the TV store's window.

You edged closer to the gate and slipped your arm through the bar, reaching out to grab it. ...You gave an irritated sigh, when you discovered the brick was too far out of your reach. You wished your arms had been longer.

Doug and Cry seemed to have noticed your idea and dilemma, because next thing you knew, each one had tried to reach out and grab the brick. When that failed, Doug suddenly came up with a "genius" idea that made you wonder why the fuck he didn't must mention it before.

You eyed the weapon curiously as your new chubby friend thrusted a shiny red axe into your hand. "Glenn had this when he came back. He gave it to me."

You blinked as you held the weapon in your grip, getting used to it's weight and size. You liked it. And you understood Doug's idea, too. Standing straight, you looked to the keylock between the gate. ...Then, you raised the axe up, and quickly brought it down, causing the lock to snap and fall off of the gate.

"Nice work," Cry commented. You gave a small nod, but your attention was more focused on the "shiny" red brick that was now accessible. Handing the axe to Cry, you quietly opened up the gate just slightly, and stepped out to grab the brick. You eyed the close but unsuspecting walkers cautiously as they roamed by. Being so close to one caused you to become a little frightened... but you didn't let that stop you.

Turning toward the TV store, you raised your arm and chucked the brick forward. The brick flew through the air, before smashing into the glass. A sudden, loud alarm blared, causing all of the walkers in the street to freeze in their step, before chasing after the loud noise. As they crowded around the TV store, Doug gave you a thumbs up, and you gasped as Cry gently took your wrist and led you into the streets.

You stayed close to the masked man as the two of you crossed the road. He'd kept a firm grip on your wrist, which was also part of the reason why you stayed so close. The two of you quickly made it to the other side of the street, and looked down upon the trapped walker.

The walker weakly raised it's head to stare at you and Cry, before it's mind registered what you two were. Food. He loudly snarled and suddenly lashed out. You jumped back, your heart beating a little faster. Cry released his grip on your wrist before placing a hand on your shoulder. He then took his hand away, and took hold of the axe he'd held with his other hand. You stayed where you were and watched as Cry grew closer to the walker in slow steps. Then, he raised his weapon, and brought it down on the walker's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere from the impact, getting on your and Cry's clothes. ...That didn't matter... your clothes were really bloody anyway.

The walker lay still, blood seeping from the gash Cry had just given it. You eyed the walker curiously, before watching Cry begin to bend down to grab the keys. At that moment, you suddenly saw it's jaw click.

"CRY!"

The monster snarled and reached up, taking hold of Cry's arm. Cry yelped and gave a nervous gasp, trying to pull his arm away. You bit your lip and sprang forward, snatching the axe from Cry's free hand, and bringing it down on the walker's fore-arm. The fore-arm snapped immediately, leaving Cry tumbling backward. You didn't stop there. You raised the axe again and slammed it down upon the monster's neck. It didn't die. You did it again. Same result. Again. Same result. Finally, you raised the axe once more, and brought it down upon the walker's head. It's skull split open, and the creature finally went still. You kept your arms raised, ready for it to move again. You were ready. You were going to _make sure_ that thing didn't come back.

Suddenly, a pair of arms snaked around you, gently grabbing your arms and forcing you to lower the axe. You lightly shook in Cry's hold, leaning back against his chest as you stared at the dead monster you'd just slain. ...You dropped the axe. Cry wrapped his arms around your stomach and held you close.

"It's okay... Princess... It's okay. You got it."

You began to stop shaking, but you couldn't feel your legs moving. Cry pulled himself away from you and circled around, slowly approaching the monster and crouching down. He'd given a mumble of disgust as he reached his hand in to fish for the keys. Finally, he'd been successful, and pulled the blood-spattered silver key-ring (that held several keys) from the walker's clothing. Cry turned to you and grinned.

You gave a small smile back, relief washing over you. You turned to Doug and gave a thumbs up. Doug, who had gotten onto his feet, waved back at you, before looking toward the TV store. His eyes suddenly widened.

"Holy Crap!" He yelled. "Run!"

You turned to look toward the TV Store, and your eyes widened as you saw several zombies leaving the broken glass, and scampering after you. You gave a light yelp-yell like noise, while Cry just muttered,

"Awh, _Shit_." Then, he took hold of your wrist, and the two of you made it through the gates and into the Drug-Store as fast as possible. As you passed through, Doug slammed the doors shut and braced himself against them... but with the lack of banging and moaning coming from the walkers, the three of you confirmed that the walkers had lost interest.

You looked to Cry, and watched as he turned to look at you. You gave him a big smile, and another thumbs-up.

"We did it!" You laughed.

Cry grinned. "We did!" He agreed. He held the keys up high... and then flinched as Lilly suddenly appeared and snatched them up. The two of you turned to the tempered female brunette as she stared at the keys in her hand with wide eyes.

"God, you two are amazing!" She gasped, giving you two an actual _friendly _smile. "Let's get in there!"

_Cry's P.O.V._

Right now, I wished the electricity _had_ been shut off.

The three of us – Lilly, [Your Name], and I had made our way into the pharmacy. But we were only a couple steps in before loud alarms went off... and didn't stop. I'd given another "Oh Shit", and [Your Name] said something along the lines of "Give me a fucking break" before Lilly ordered that we grabbed what we could. After our little visit in that room, we ran out into the rest of the Drug-Store, only to see everyone else packing up, and getting ready to leave.

"Duck!" Somewhere in the room, Katjaa had called out. "C'mon baby, time to go!"

"I'm gonna get the truck pulled up around back!" Kenny had called out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him sprinting across the room, keys in hand.

"Do it fast!" Lily snapped to Kenny. "I gotta get my Dad out of here!"

"I don't plan on Dilly-dallying!" Kenny snarled. "Honey," He turned to Katjaa. "Take Duck into the office, and barricade the living hell out of the door behind me!"

Katjaa nodded and ran off, Duck in hand. Kenny continued.

"Glenn! When you hear me honking, start getting people out of here!"

"You got it!"

"Doug, Carly, Cry, Felix, and [Your Name], you guys make sure our defenses stay up till then!"

"Okay, Kenny!" [Your Name]'s voice came from a different part of the room. My eyes flicked to her. She was with Felix, hovering over Clementine, getting her ready to leave the store. My eyes flicked back to Kenny as he turned to me.

"And Cry, I'm gonna need that axe in case I run into any of them on the way to my truck!"

I nodded, and tossed Kenny the axe (which I had forgotten that I was even carrying).

"Here you go!"

"Guys, that door's not locked anymore..." Glenn spoke up as the sound of the gate opening was heard.

"Shit!" Kenny cursed. "You five get on that! I'll get back as fast as I can!"

I nodded, and looked back in [Your Name]'s direction. She'd run off to block the door, which now had walkers on the other side, getting near successful attempts at getting in. Beside her, Carley, Doug, and Glenn were pushed up against the doors, trying to block the monsters.

"Stay away from the windows," Felix's soft voice sounded beside Clementine. I watched as he left the little girl's side, flashing me a worried look before going to help barricade the door.

"Glenn, we need your help!" Katjaa suddenly called out. "Please, hurry!"

Glenn's eyes widened. As he ran off from the door, Felix took his place. I sprinted forward and squeezed between [Your Name] and Carly, taking my own part of the door as I helped brace it. I flashed [Your Name] a slightly worried stare, though I knew she couldn't see it.

"You doing okay?" I asked.

She quickly nodded. "I'm fine. But this door is really strong."

"Go on," I told her. "I got the door. Go make sure Clementine is okay."

She blinked. "Are you sure?" She asked. I nodded. "Go!"

She nodded back, then turned and ran off. I gasped as a rather large bump suddenly hit the door. I groaned, and pushed back against it with as much strength as possible. The door shut again.

"Hey, Cry..."

The voice came from my left. I turned to look to Doug, who was giving me a half-stare, still kind of looking toward the door.

"If we don't make it through this, you should know... I think you're a really great guy."

"We'll make it through this, man!" I nearly had to shout over the walkers.

"Doug!" Carly's voice came from the other side of me. I turned to look to her. "If we don't make it through this, you should know-"

The door heaved forward again. I growled and leaned back, bracing my back against the door and pushing back with all my strength. In several long moments, the door shut again.

"What?!" Doug asked.

"Huh?!" Carly called.

"You said I should know-"

Suddenly, Felix gave a scream. I looked beyond Doug and to the Swedish blond, watching with wide eyes as the shelf that had been covering a window came down, right beside him. Felix nearly jumped backward, but instead, inched a little closer to Doug.

"Fuck!" Felix cursed.

"No!" I gasped.

"I got it!" Carly snapped.

"You sure?!" I asked.

"Oh, SHIT!" Carly gasped.

I looked back to the window and saw walkers climbing in. My eyes widened further.

"Oh, SHIT!" I repeated. Carly rose her gun and took a couple shots. The walkers crowding the window went down, but were soon replaced by more. Another bump hit the door, and I strained to shut it again. When it was shut, I turned to look at Carly, and saw she had the window under control. I flicked my gaze away from her, and up to [Your Name]. She was standing beside Clementine only a little ways away, watching the scene with wide eyes. I called to her.

"[Your Name]! Clementine! Can you look for something to stick in between the handles?!" I asked. I looked to Clementine. "Something real strong, okay?!"

"Okay!" The two replied at the same time, then sprinted off together as they looked for something. The door bumped open. I gasped and spun around, palming the handles and forcing it shut. I turned back around.

"Did you find anything?!" I called out.

"Nothing!" [Your Name] called.

"Oh!" Clementine exclaimed "Wait!"

I watched them run off together.

"That other window is screwed!" Doug suddenly said. I rose my eyebrow in question, before looking to my other side, and seeing the _other_ window break open. I turned back to Doug.

"Go!" I commanded. He quickly nodded and took off, leaving just me and Felix with the door. I looked to my best friend, and he looked to me. We shared the same expression of worry and horror, even though he couldn't see mine.

"Doing okay?" I called out to him. He nodded.

"Fine, bro." He replied.

Suddenly, the boor burst open again. I cried out and spun around.

"STOP IT!" I yelled at the walkers... even though they couldn't understand me. I threw my hands against the doors again and tried to shut them.

"Close, close, close, close, close, close, close, CLOSE!" I yelled. The doors slammed shut. Felix gave a relieved sigh. I spun around again, and rested my back against the door.

"I found something!" Clementine called. I watched as she and [Your Name] sprinted toward me, a cane in Clem's hand. The cane looked familiar... but I wasn't about to play the guessing-game. I took the cane from the little girl's arms and stuck it between the handles of the door. I turned to [Your Name], then to Felix.

"Get [Your Name] and Clementine out of here!" I snapped to him. The blond nodded, but then shook his head.

"What about you?!" He asked.

"Protect them!" I snapped again. ...He slowly nodded once more, and then grabbed Clementine and [Your Name] by the wrists and took off. I watched them go, before looking back to the door. I knew the cane wasn't gonna hold long. We needed to leave. Now.

"AHH! GET THEM OFF OF ME!"

My eyes widened and I turned to my left to see Doug by the window, walkers trying to pull him through. I parted my lips to call his name, but before I could, another voice interrupted me.

"SHIT, I'M OUT OF AMMO! MY PURSE!"

I turned to look toward Carly, who was reaching for her purse. Suddenly, a walker on the ground took hold of her leg, preventing her from moving. She cried out and tried to kick it off, but it was no use. My eyes widened. Carly reached out, eyes begging for help. Doug continued to scream.

Doug or Carley.

...Doug... Or Carley.

_No, no, no, no, no! _I sobbed in my mind. _Fuck! Don't make me do this!_

_ ..._Doug...

...DOUG!

I sprinted away from my post and in Doug's direction. I threw my arms around him and pulled him away. He slipped from the walkers' grasp. I pulled away, my eyes wide. He looked up to me and gave me a grateful smile.

"Oh, man..." He mumbled. "Tha-"

A scream interrupted him. I turned to look toward Carly. A walker was approaching her, the other one biting into her ankle.

"NO!" I screamed. The walker pulled her down to the ground, and sunk it's teeth into her neck. More walkers began to climb through the window, each one piling on top of her.

"NO!" I screamed again. "No, No, NOO!"

Carly let out a blood-covered scream. The pitch pierced my ears. And then... silence. Her body went limp as the walkers devoured her.

"Fuuuuck!" I whispered. I covered my face (well... my mask) with my hands.

_I'm so sorry, Carly!_ I thought.

Doug suddenly ran off at the sound of Kenny's holler. I hesitated, but then quickly followed after, dodging the shelves of food as I made my way in that direction. Kenny disappeared, and then Doug as they stepped through the door. As I moved forward, getting closer and closer, Larry suddenly appeared, blocking the way. I looked up to him with wide eyes, and my jaw dropped as he raised his fist.

"You're not coming with us, you son of a bitch!"

Then came the blow. I yelled as the impact on my face sent pain throughout my entire body. I stumbled backward and fell, my ass landing on the tile. I groaned, my vision blurry as I tried to pick myself up. And then, Kenny was there, towering over me with the axe. I watched with wide eyes as he raised it up, eyeing me.

"No!" I screamed.

The axe came down, but it didn't strike me. I looked to my left just in enough time to see the blade slide through a walker's skull. Kenny pulled the axe out and turned to me, extending an arm.

"I'm not letting somebody else get eaten today!"

I wanted to smile up at him, but I was too freaked out. I only groaned at the pain in my face and took his hand. He hoisted me to my feet.

"Especially a good friend." He mumbled. He turned and ran off. I followed after him, but then turned back to the store. Walkers were sprinting after, ready to rip and tear at flesh. I glared, before grabbing the handle of the door and slamming the door shut.

_Fuck that._


	7. Chapter 7

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**The Motor-Inn**_

_Your P.O.V._

The radio was going off in the back-round... giving news about the state of different parts of Georgia... but you weren't focused on that right now. For the moment, you were lost in your thoughts. You eyes were set on Larry. That son of a bitch had punched Cry right in the face, and almost prevented him from leaving the Drug-Store _alive._ That was a dick move. But... you felt a little more angry than you should have. You didn't know where the fuck you would be without Cry. He'd saved your life already on so many occasions... without him, you were dead. And...

You believed you were starting to develop feelings for him.

You wanted to say you weren't. Cry was a really good friend, and you were _sure_ he didn't have feelings for you back. You didn't want him to think of you as a secret fangirl who'd always had an amazing crush on him. Sure, during the years that you'd watched Cry on YouTube, you'd found him attractive, but you were never downright in love. And now... you felt like a little part of you just wanted to be _with_ him. He was beginning to stay inside your thoughts more and more. Whenever he touched you, you blushed, or acted awkward. You found his regular attitude to be more and more adorable, and when he laughed, you felt like melting. But you didn't want it to be like this... you didn't want your feelings to freak Cry out. Plus, you'd only known him for a few days! Wasn't that creepy enough? Besides... you knew not to get romantically close to people during an apocalypse... because something bad always happens to them. Always. You would blame yourself.

Still, that didn't mean you couldn't be incredibly pissed at the guy who almost killed your friend. Cry had worked his ass off to get him those fucking pills, and he just _punches him in the face?!_ No! Just... no. You wanted to kick his ass. ...No. No, you _WERE_ going to kick his ass.

You attempted to move off of the balcony you currently stood upon and go in Larry's direction, but a hand on your shoulder suddenly stopped you. You looked to your left... to find Felix staring at you. He slowly shook his head.

"Not now." He spoke, as if he could read your thoughts. "Later, when things aren't so crazy. Everyone is getting over panic, and..." He gestured to Doug, who looked pretty miserable as he sat by a laptop. "...loss. Now isn't a good time."

You wanted to argue, but you knew the man was right. Now wasn't a good time. Not now, while everyone was calming down. Instead, you sighed, and gave a small nod, before looking back over the balcony.

"Thanks, Pewds."

"Don't worry about it, [Your Name]." There was a smile in Felix's voice. He took his hand away from his shoulder and took the pose that you had – crossing his arms and resting against the wooden rail of the balcony.

Your group of... damn, how many people was it now? ...Your large group had made their way to the Motor-Inn that Glenn had mentioned as you guys were leaving the Drug-Store. The Inn was safe... or so you thought. There were plenty of rooms for people... a little bit of food, and big dumpsters and walls that blocked anything from getting in. It was a perfect living situation. ...This place could be permanent.

You watched everyone as they began to get comfortable. As mentioned before, Doug had moved beside a broken laptop, trying to get it working. Kenny and Katjaa were speaking by their truck, by Glenn. The young Asian man was standing beside his pizza-delivery car, listening to the radio that was on the inside. A little ways away from him, Cry stood, listening to the same radio. In the middle of the parking-lot, a big fat RV sat... something that had been there before your group arrived.

Clem nd Duck sat there together. Clementine looked upset, her head looking down toward her hands. Beside her, Duck went on and on, talking and talking, never seeming to stop. Though you thought Duck was a cute little kid, you knew this moment was not the right time for him to be talking and talking.

You considered going down and comforting Clem, but before you did, you noticed Cry and Glenn finish up a conversation they apparently started. The two shook hands, before Glenn climbed into his car and drove off. You blinked, confused, but by the look of Lilly's face (who had been behind Glenn's car, and was now walking away), you realized that Glenn had left. For good.

That left ten people left in the group. Ten survivors. You watched as Cry moved away from the spot he had been standing in, and went to speak to Kenny.

_Cry's P.O.V._

"Hey, Kenny." I spoke as I approached Kenny and his wife. Kenny looked to me, his brown eyes looking me up and down, before he delivered a little smile. His smile vanished as quick as it had come, though.

"Close call back there." He commented. ...I slowly nodded.

"Thanks for picking me up."

"No problem." Kenny replied. "We have to take care of each other."

"Yeah..." I replied. "We do."

"Cry, uh..." Kenny mumbled. I blinked. He looked to be again, after glancing away. "Earlier, I meant to ask you what you would do if... Clementine's parents _don't_ show up."

"Oh..." I mumbled.

"You think that's gonna happen?" Kenny asked.

"Her parents showing up?" I asked. He nodded. I shook my head. "No... I don't."

It hurt to admit it, but it was true. I'd listened to them die on their Answering Machine back at Clementine's house. There was no way they were still alive. It was over for them.

"Well..." Kenny paused. "I want you to know that I think you've got it in you, Cry. You and [Your Name] are doing well with her. It's almost like the two of you really are her parents. I think you both can take care of that little girl just fine."

I lightly blushed at the mention of [Your Name] and I almost being like Clem's parents, but nodded anyway. "Thanks, Ken. We're trying our best."

"You got it." Kenny nodded. He turned and continued talking to Katjaa, thus concluding the conversation between the two of us. I watched him... and watched his wife. They were a strong couple. They could get through anything together. I liked that about them.

I let my eyes scan the rest of the parking-lot, until finally, my gaze landed on Doug. The chubby blond/brown haired man was fiddling with the laptop. Beside that, a radio spoke of the dangers in the city with a soft volume. I felt a pang of pity for the man. I slowly approached him.

"How you doin', Doug?" I asked, when I'd arrived at his post. He stopped fiddling with the laptop, but... didn't bring his gaze up to me. He looked angry. I almost felt frightened. "Doug?"

"We couldn't... save her, could we?"

My mind flashed to Carly.

Oh.

"I don't so. It happened pretty fast." I admitted.

"I..." Doug hesitated... and then sighed. "I... I know it's stupid. We just met... it's dumb, but uh, I mean it's... it's... probably just that survivor thing, but... I think I really liked her."

My heart dropped. I felt sorry for the guy. I considered patting his shoulder, but decided not to. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that always wanted comfort.

"She liked you too," I informed, forcing a small smile.

"Thanks, Cry." Doug mumbled. "Anyway, I'd rather be alone, I think..."

"Sure." I replied. I turned to walk away... but before I could, his voice called to me again.

"Wait, Cry?"

I turned back. "Yeah?"

"How did you choose?" Doug asked. "I mean... we both needed you, but you picked me."

"I didn't." I admitted.

"Oh." He mumbled.

"Sometimes... we don't make choices," I continued. "We just... do what we do."

"I just wish you would have picked _her._" Doug sighed. I bit my lip, but said nothing. Then, he looked up to me again, his eyes a little dimer than usual.

"Cry... don't you dare loose [Your Name]." He said suddenly. I tensed. _What?_ "She's a good woman, Cry. And you two are close. I know you said you guys weren't together, but... I know you want it to happen."

I nervously scoffed. "Wh... What? N-No, way-..."

Doug gave me a _Don't-Pull-That-Shit-On-Me_ look. ...I gave in, and lowered my voice to a whisper.

"Is it that obvious?"

Doug lightly chuckled. "Just take care of her, Cry. She's got a good head on her shoulders. You, her, and Clementine are a family. Family is important. Don't you _dare_ loose your family."

Doug reached up and pat my shoulder and gave me a smile, before going back to his thing. I watched him for several moments... letting his words process through my mind, before turning and walking away. I couldn't think about that right now. I needed to check in on everyone else.

As I walked, my eyes slunk over to Larry. He glared at me from where he stood. I glared back, and then made my way over to Clementine and Duck. I couldn't take Larry's shit at the moment. As I approached the children, I noticed that Duck wouldn't shut his mouth for more than a couple seconds. As I arrived, I waved him off.

"Hey, Duck, you wanna cool it for a minute?" I asked. Duck turned and looked up to me, and then nodded.

"Okay, sorry."

I turned back to Clem... and noticed her miserable expression. I crouched down, and took one of her hands in mine.

"Clem?" I asked. "I'm... uh... sorry there's not a lot of kids here."

"No!" Clementine sighed. "It's not that. It's... I... got grabbed again."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"When Felix and [Your Name] were taking me out of the store. [Your Name] slipped, and Felix went back for her. And then I got grabbed."

"Did Felix get you?" I asked. I mean, obviously, he saved Clem or she wouldn't be here, but I'd asked the question anyway. Clementine nodded.

"He did, but I fell, and my Walkie-Talkie broke. Glenn had the other one..."

I winced. I forgot to ask for that damned thing back.

"I-I'm sorry..." I spoke sympathetically. "That really sucks, Clem."

"Thanks..." Clementine's voice got a little quieter. "I know I need to be tough... I'm just sad. I..." Tears started to form in her eyes. "I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's how I used to talk to my Mom and Dad! And now they're gone... it's gone!"

_Awwwww, Clemmy!_

"Maybe we can find you another one." I said.

Clementine tore her gaze away from mine, and pulled her hand away. "I'll just keep this one, I guess."

"Cry."

I blinked, and looked to my right, to see Larry standing by the stairs that led to the balcony, and the upper rooms. I raised my eyebrow in question.

"C'mere for a sec." His gruff voice commanded. I sighed, and looked back to Clem.

"Let me go deal with this." I told her. She nodded. I stood and moved away, heading toward Larry.

"What do you want?" I asked, my brows knitted together to form a frown (though he couldn't see me doing that). Larry glared.

"You... like my daughter?" Larry asked, gesturing to Lilly, who was... somewhere where I couldn't see her. I crossed my arms.

"She's fine...?" I asked, a little confused. Larry blinked.

"_Fine_, eh?" He asked. "Well, just _fuck you,_ Ryan."

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. I uncrossed my arms and nearly took a step back. _That fucker knows my name!_

"That's right." Larry sneered. "I know who you are. And if you go near my daughter, or step out of line _ONCE_, ...so will everyone else."

I stepped back, but he took a step forward, and leaned in close, his face only inches away from mine. He glared. I could smell his disgusting breath.

"I know who you are." He repeated. "And I don't give a shit about what happens to you. But if _anything_ happens to my daughter, that little girl you got with you, or the snappy little cunt with the wounded leg... Heh. You watch your ass."

Before I could get a word of my own in, Larry roughly shouldered me as he walked by. I watched him go, trying to stop myself from glaring and snapping back at him.

_Your P.O.V._

Lilly had asked you and Felix to follow her, so you did. She led the two of you down the stairs of the balcony, and onto the ground. The three of you began to approach Cry... and you watched as he stared at Larry while he walked away. The brunette's fists were clenched so tight, his knuckles were turning white. A wave of worry went through me. Had something happened?

"Cry." Lilly spoke up. Cry quickly looked over his shoulder, then turned to face you guys. He took a couple steps toward the three of you and wave a little wave.

"'Sup?" He asked.

"Can we talk to you for a second?" Lilly asked. Cry hesitated... and then nodded.

"My Dad would be dead if it weren't for you." Lilly started. Cry tensed. You worried again.

"That... uh... _reporter_ is dead because of me..." Cry mumbled, his voice soft.

"You can't be like that," Lilly started. "You're only one man."

"It's my fault," You suddenly chimed in, a feeling of guilt washing over you. Cry's head snapped in your direction. You continued. "If I hadn't followed Felix out of the store, I could have helped Cry save both. My absence got Carly killed, and..." You looked away. "I'm sorry..."

You suddenly felt a hand rest on your shoulder. You looked up to see Cry. Not his face, though. That was irritating.

"It was in _no way_ your fault." Cry said. "I _told_ Felix to protect you and Clem. You did the right thing by going."

"But-"

"It doesn't matter!" Lilly cut you off. "Look, the point is-"

Gunshots. You looked up and around. The motor-inn grew quiet. Even Duck, who had been talking and wouldn't shut up. Out of sudden instinct, you grew closer to Cry. Cry wrapped his arms around you and protectively pulled you close. The two of you looked around as you tried to find the source, but there was nothing there. The gunshots were faint, like they'd come from a couple miles away.

"I hope that's the sound of us winning this thing!" Kenny suddenly chirped. You looked over Cry's shoulder and saw Kenny approach. He joined the little make-shift circle of people that you, Lilly, Cry, and Felix had created. Lilly smiled.

"Me too."

"This motor-inn is pretty damned defendable," Kenny started. "We blocked off the entrances with some cars, and if we keep someone on watch, we can stay here until the military rolls through."

"I actually agree with that plan," Lilly sounded surprised.

"Me too." Cry and Felix spoke at the same time.

"We got beds, we got water, and most importantly, we got light," Kenny listed off. "There are worst places to call home."

"Yeah, you're right." Lilly agreed. "You know guys, I think it's going to be okay."

Then, suddenly, the lights went out. You huddled closer to Cry. Cry wrapped his arms tighter around you, but suddenly, he lightly chuckled.

_"I so fucking saw that coming!"_


	8. Chapter 8

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Three Months Later**_

_Your P.O.V._

Autumn. The season just before winter. The trees turn yellow and brown, the air starts to get colder, and animals get ready for hibernation. That wasn't good, if you needed to kill animals to eat during the zombie apocalypse.

The forest was beautiful. Beams of light seeped past the fall's trees' leaves and shown on the dirt and leaf-covered ground. The birds whistled and sung to each other as they flew by. Everything was peaceful. This was the one place you usually came to when you couldn't handle the bullshit going through the group on certain days. But today, you were here for a different reason.

Your group was low on food, and you needed to help provide. When a small hunting party was being made, you volunteered to go. With your right leg completely healed (because it'd been three months since you'd gotten the injury in the first place), you could do almost anything. In fact, with your healed leg, you'd proven to the group over and over each day just exactly how amazing and helpful you were. Everyone really appreciated your support.

As you heard the soft growling and groaning of a walker, you crouched behind a pair of large bushes. You peeked through, watching the hunched-over, rotten corpse as it fed on what could have been _your meal._ You lightly frowned as you watched it feed.

Taking the sturdy axe in your hand, you stood, raised the weapon above your head, and swung it forward with a soft grunt. The walker died as quick as the blade sliced through it's skull. The monster fell to the ground, limp, and dead... dead-dead. You gave a victorious smile at your kill. When they weren't too big of an issue, you actually loved to kill walkers. They were a nice way to get frustration out, and the more you got rid of, the better. It was a good exercise, and you were pretty good at it.

"Damn it." A voice sounded from behind you. "What did they get _this_ time?"

You inspected the tiny corpse in the bigger corpse's hands closer... and then sighed.

"Looks like a rabbit." You answered.

The man who accompanied you trotted over to your side, and then gave an irritated huff. His gold eyes... which looked very much like Clementine's... seemed to glow with the sunlight. He looked to you, and pushed his glasses a bit further up his nose. In his hand, he held a rifle. He brought his hand up to his shaggy dark brown hair and ruffled it as he thought.

"Well, that's another meal lost." He mumbled.

You nodded, turned, and began to walk away. He trotted next to you, and the two of you walked – with quiet footsteps – through the forest together.

"I still can't believe we went through all that commissary food in three months. It seemed like_ so much_ at the time."

"Maybe you shouldn't have opened the door." You chuckled.

"Yeah, except that I'd probably _be _food by now." He retorted. "Trust me. I have no regrets."

"A rabbit's hardly a meal, Mark, but I'd take it. We're all hungry." You told him.

"No kidding," Mark replied. "Last night, I heard yourfriend Doug laying in bed, just naming types of pie. It was driving me nuts. I think he's starting to... loose it."

"He's not the only one," You reminded your friend. "Won't you cut him some slack?"

Your group ran into Mark only about a week after you'd moved into the motor-inn. He seemed like a great guy. Lilly wasn't too happy about letting him tag along, but at the time, he had _lots _of food, and she knew she couldn't resist. He moved into the motor-inn a few hours after your group had met. His room was right next to yours by the balcony. His room is on one side, and Cry's is on the other. You and Mark had been getting along great the first few weeks, and now, you're both like best friends. Mark saved your ass a couple times, and you didn't know what you'd do without him. He's a really great guy.

"Yeah, you're right." Mark interrupted your thoughts as you walked. "I wish I knew for sure how much food we have left."

"We'll manage," You replied.

"Maybe." Mark sighed. "You know, some people aren't too happy about the way Lilly's handling rations."

You sighed. "Lilly knows that it's important to keep the adults fed and functioned. Sometimes, that means that someone's gotta miss a meal."

"You think Kenny and Cry are having any more luck than we are out here?"

"I sure hope so."

"Yeah," Mark continued. "Between the lack of food and Kenny and Lilly fighting all the time, I'd say things are getting pretty tense back at the Motor-Inn."

The two of you stopped walking as you got to an empty clearing. Mark turned to you. "You know, Kenny's been talking about taking off if he can get that RV running."

"Kenny won't abandon us," You said quickly. "He's a good man."

"I guess we'll see... Can't blame him, though. Did you hear Larry going off on him last night? What's the old guy's deal, anyway?" He paused. "He seems like he's got a problem with _Cry_ in particular."

You scoffed. "Larry's just an old racist asshole." You said. "That's his deal."

"Well, he needs to get over that, and find a way to pull his weight." Mark mumbled. "Heart problems or not, we should _all_ be out here trying to find some food." He paused. "And I know Lilly thinks he's getting weaker, but the guy's all muscle. He's a walking piledriver! I know that I wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with him... And... didn't he punch Cry in the face one time?"

You began to walk forward and look around. You slowly nodded, your brows lightly knitting together.

"Knocked him flat." You replied.

The two of you halted as you watched a bird perch itself upon a branch. The bird was a crow... plump, and delicious-looking. You eyed the bird curiously, before noticing Mark raise his rifle.

"That's a long shot," You commented, voice softer, not wanting to scare off the bird. "I'd hate to waste the bullets."

"Trust me," Mark mumbled, going into concentration. "If I don't think I can hit it, I won't shoot."

He waited a couple moments, and then pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out, but the bird wasn't hit. Giving out a sort of mocking tweet, the crow flew off. You grumbled and flashed him a look. He looked back.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Both of your guys' eyes widened. A scream. A scream coming from the distance. You immediately began to roll through a list of people in your head. Kenny? Cry? Oh God, who was screaming?! You spun around and began to run off, Mark following close behind.

"Shit, was that Kenny?!" He called as you ran.

"I don't know!" You called back. "Come on!"

The two of you sprinted through the forest. The screams continued to go, getting louder and louder as your drew closer and closer. Your heart raced in your chest as you imagined Cry's bloody body, screaming as he was eaten by walkers. ...The reason why you immediately thought about Cry was explainable. Your feelings for him had gotten deeper and deeper over the months. You weren't sure if you could say you loved him, but it was enough to know that if anything bad happened, you went running to him to make sure he was okay. And now, that's what you were doing.

You and Mark finally reached the source of the screams. To your relief, it wasn't Cry. Or Kenny. Instead, it was an older man, with his leg caught in a trap. In front of him, two teenage boys were panicking as they tried to figure out what to do.

"Jesus Christ!" Mark swore.

The three of the males looked to us, eyes wide.

"Holy shit!" The teenager with raven-colored hair and a pale face was the first to speak. "No, please! Please don't kill us!" He begged. "We just want to help our teacher! We'll leave, I swear!"

"[Your Name]! Mark!"

You snapped your head to the side at Kenny's tone, and saw him rushing toward you. Behind him, Cry sprinted after.

"Are you guys okay?!" Kenny asked, when he'd reached you. Cry slowed to a halt beside you and temporarily put down his gun, putting his hands on your shoulders as he examined you for wounds. You rolled your eyes at his concern.

"We're fine." You replied. Cry sighed and pulled away, grabbing his gun again.

"GET IT OFF. GET IT OFF, GOD DAMN IT! GET IT OFF OF ME!"

The older male between the two teenage boys shrieked as he held his leg in pain. You watched him with a pang of sympathy. You knew about the leg troubles.

"Travis!" The second teenage boy, with short, light brown hair and bright blue eyes looked to his friend. "Maybe they can help!"

"These might be the same guys that raided our camp!" Travis pointed out, gesturing to your small group. "And... we barely got away from that!"

"It's okay!" Cry snapped. "We're not gonna hurt you!"

"Don't listen to them, Ben!" Travis said to his friend, quickly. "Please, just let us go! We're not a threat to you!"

"Kid, chill out!" Kenny growled. "We'll try to help you, but you've got to shut the fuck up!"

"[Your Name]," Mark spoke from beside you. "This is fucked up! We gotta help them!"

"Please!" Ben begged.

"Ben, shut up!" Travis snapped again. "My Dad was in Special Forces. I know what I'm doing!"

Ben ignored Travis and turned to your group. "Just see if you can get him out!" He pleaded. "Then you can leave us, or whatever, I don't care! Please!"

"Was be bitten?!" Cry asked.

"Bitten?!" Ben asked back. "No! I swear!"

"Hurry!" The teacher pleaded. "Please, hurry!"

Mark left your side and walked up to the bear-trap, setting down his rifle as he knelt onto the ground. He began to fiddle with the bear trap. Your eyes kept flicking between the two boys, the teacher, Mark, Cry, and Kenny. You weren't sure what to do.

"[Your Name]!" Mark said suddenly. "This trap has been altered! There's no release latch."

"Oh, no..." Travis suddenly spoke. All of you turned to look in the direction he was looking. Walkers were stumbling toward you, emerging from the shadows of the forest. Your jaw dropped, and you held to your axe tighter.

"Shit!" Kenny cursed. "Walkers! It's now or never, [Your Name]!"

You blinked, eyes going wide. You and Kenny looked down at the axe in your hands.

_Oh God..._

"Please!" The teacher begged, looking to you with wide eyes. "Get me out of this!"

You bit your lip, but moved forward. "Mark, Cry. Get the boys back." You commanded.

Cry and Mark did as you were told and went to the boys' sides. You approached the teacher slowly, readying your axe.

"Kenny." You mumbled. "Keep those walkers off of me."

"Yes, ma'am!" Kenny nodded.

I looked back to the teacher, to his pleading, pained face, then to his leg in the trap. I looked back to his face.

"I have to cut you out." I said softly. Kenny began firing shots... and so did Cry.

"No, no, no!" The man panicked. "Try the trap again! Anything! Please!"

I shook my head, and raised the axe above my head. The man's eyes widened. I looked to him.

"I'm sorry." I said. He gasped.

"NO, NO, NO, N-"

You threw the axe forward, and dug it into the man's shin. The man let out a blood-churtling scream. You winced at the sound... then pulled the axe out. The leg didn't split all the way through. You winced and did it again. And again. By the fourth time, the leg was freed. Blood poured from the wound at an alarmingly fast rate. The man looked to his leg with horror, screaming, before passing out from blood loss. You looked to your blood-covered axe, and then to Cry. He'd sent a glance toward your direction, but he was more focused on the walkers that were approaching.

"If he's alive, grab him, and let's go!" Kenny ordered. Mark dove forward and snatched the teacher's body up, throwing him over his shoulders. He looked to you, and then began running toward the direction of camp. Kenny followed, and after taking your wrist, Cry followed as well. You ran together. Your mind flashed to the boys. You looked over your shoulder. Ben was running right behind you... however, Travis yelled as he'd tripped and fallen. Ben stopped as he heard his friend scream. He watched with horror as a walker fell over Travis and bit into his flesh.

"TRAVIS!"

"WE HAVE TO GO!" You snapped. Ben looked torn, but then followed after you. You gave him a look of pity, before turning and sprinting through the forest.

"Open the gates! We've got wounded!" Cry called.

The gates opened quickly, and Mark sprinted in, still hauling the man over his shoulder. Katjaa screamed out "Oh my God", and everyone began talking all at once. Katjaa followed Mark to Kenny's truck, where Mark lay the body down on the bed of the vehicle. You wanted to follow, but instead, you stuck close to Cry, who had yet to release his grip on you.

"Cry. CRY."

You and Cry looked to your left, to see Lilly standing there... looking pissed.

Oh fuck.

"What the Hell?!" Lilly started. "You can't just be bringing new people here! What are you thinking?!"

"Hey, you wanna calm down for a fucking minute?!" Kenny snapped.

"HEY!" Larry snarled. "Watch your mouth!"

"No, I don't!" Lilly spoke over Larry. "I wanna know why Cry thought bringing more mouths to feed was a good idea!"

"I thought we could fucking save his life!" Cry gasped out. His grip on your wrist tightened. You slipped your hand away, and instead, held his hand for comfort. The two of you intertwined your fingers, but you didn't think he noticed.

"I took his leg!" You chirped. "That makes ME responsible!"

"Well, that was a stupid thing to do!" Larry, of 'course, said the insult.

"We are NOT responsible for every struggling survivor we come across!" Lilly snarled, her voice echoing through the parking lot of the motor-inn. "We have to focus on OUR group. Right here, right now!"

"Come on, Lilly!" Mark argued, walking back from the truck. "These are people! People trying to survive, just like us. We've got to stick together to survive."

Lilly scoffed, turning to Mark. "The only reason _you're _here is because you had food. Enough for all of us. But that food is almost gone! We've got _maybe_ a week's worth left!" She turned to Ben. "And I don't suppose you guys are carrying any groceries, are you?"

"U-Uhm..." Ben stammered. "No..."

"Fine," Mark sighed. "You guys fight it out, then." He turned to Ben and pat his shoulder, before walking away. "Welcome to the family, kid."

Clementine, who had been standing right behind Ben, looked up to him with her adorable little eyes.

"Come over here, and... see what I drew..." She said softly. She reached out to take his hand.

"Wh-What? No, I..."

"Just come on, okay?" Clementine asked, obviously worried about Ben's protection. She led him toward the RV, disappearing from your sight. You watched her go, grateful she was trying to do some good. Clementine always was.

"You know," Kenny started, walking up to Lilly. "You like to think you're the leader of this little group, but we can make our own God-damned decisions. This isn't your own... _personal dictatorship._"

"Hey!" Lilly snapped. "I didn't _ask_ to lead this group! Everybody was _happy_ that I was distributing the food when there was enough to go around! But now that it's running out, suddenly, I'm a God-damned monster!"

"It doesn't matter who's in charge!" You suddenly snapped, fed up with the bullshit. Everyone turned to you. "Those people are _here_ now," You continued. "We just have to decide what happens ne-"

"No, [Your Name], it _does_ matter!" Kenny snapped at you, glaring while he interrupted. "_One person_ can't be in charge of everything!"

You lightly frowned at Kenny, but your frown vanished as Cry slightly pulled you behind him, being protective once again. You imagined him glaring behind his mask.

"Don't talk to her like that!" He snapped.

Kenny rolled his eyes. "Sorry." He said half-heartedly. He then frowned at Cry. "You know, it might feel safe for you and her to sit on the fence, but sooner or later, you're going to have to decide who's side you're on!"

Kenny turned and walked off toward Katjaa, Duck following close behind. You watched him go, your spirits crushing slightly. You liked Kenny. You didn't want to be on his bad side.

"I don't see any of _you _standing up to make the hard decisions!" Larry snapped. _"My daughter_'s got more balls than all of you COMBINED."

"Dad, please." Lilly sighed, though you could tell she was a little happier now. "Why don't you go help Mark with the wall?"

Larry growled, and you knew he wanted to say something, but you were a little relieved when he turned and walked off to join Mark. You looked back to Lilly.

"You think this is easy for me?" Lilly asked. "Everyone's starting to hate me, because, _I'm_ the one who rations the food. And _nobody_ else wants to!"

She turned and began to walk away. Cry almost followed, but you stopped him. Instead, you pulled your hand away from his and gave him a small nod, before trotting after her yourself. You left Cry standing there, but you'd visit him later.

"You know what?" Lilly asked. You watched as she grabbed the food and turned around, before thrusting it into your hands. "I'm not doing it tonight. _You_ do it. There's today's food rations! There's not enough for everyone. Good luck."

You took the food, and stayed silent as she walked away. She closed herself in her claimed room. You sighed, and looked down at your hands. There were only four items. ...There were, as of today, fourteen people in your group (fifteen, if you included the one-legged old guy)... and you only had four pieces of food.

You looked up, and around. Mark was watching you, but he quickly turned and looked away. You sighed. You knew he wanted some food, too... but you knew he also knew that you'd be starting out with the children. Children came first, in your mind.

You hesitated in walking... before making your way over to the children. Clementine, Duck, and Ben all sat together. Clementine and Duck were using chalk as they drew along the ground. Ben had a piece, too, but all he did was stare at it, and roll it around in his fingers. You approached them slowly, before crouching down. Clementine and Duck looked up to you with bright faces. You smiled at them. Ben looked to you too, but... a little less happy.

"How are you kids doing?" You asked. Duck nodded.

"Good!" He grinned. "Really hungry, though."

"Well! Lucky for you, I've got some delicious snacks for you guys to eat."

The childrens' faces brightened brighter. You handed Duck a packet of Cheese and Crackers, and handed Clementine an apple (it was either that, Cheese and Crackers, or Beef Jerky, and you knew Clementine didn't like jerky or crackers). You then looked to Ben, and offered him the second Cheese and Crackers packet.

"Hungry?" You asked. "When was the last time you ate, Ben?"

Ben hesitated, staring at the food hungrily. He tried to refuse, but you wouldn't let him. Finally, he answered.

"About a week..." He admitted. You blinked, eyes wide. You thrust the Cheese and Crackers into his hand.

"Eat, friend." You commanded. "You need it."

Ben took the cheese and crackers, and rather hurriedly began opening the package. After a moment, he stared up at you. You expected him to smile, but he didn't.

"Thanks..." He mumbled. "What's your name again?"

"[Your Name]." You told him.

Ben slowly nodded, then looked to his food again. "That's a pretty name." He admitted.

You smiled. "Thanks, Ben."

You picked yourself up off the ground, promising Clem you'd play with her in a bit, then ventured off to find Cry. It took you a while, but you eventually found him in his claimed bedroom, sitting on the bed with Felix at his side. The two had been joking about the games they used to play before you walked in. When you made an appearance, he looked up to you and smiled.

"Hey!" He greeted you warmly. "How did things go with Lilly?"

You sighed. "Not good." You replied. You looked down to the last piece of food in your hand. You stared at it hungrily, but then shook your head. You wouldn't eat today. You looked up to Cry again. "She made me do today's food rations."

Cry's smile fell. "Oh... that sucks."

"Yeah. There's only four things, and twelve people to feed." You pulled the jerky from your pocket, took his right hand, and placed it on his palm. "You need to eat. You haven't eaten in days."

Cry quickly shook his head... as you'd expected him to do. "Neither have you, [Your Name]..." He mumbled. You sighed.

"You haven't eaten longer, though. I had food the day before yesterday." Your stomach growled. WRONG TIME, stomach. You looked up to Cry again. "Please, just eat it. You need your strength."

Cry sighed. "But..."

"Cry." You interrupted. You lightly frowned and stared at his poker-face-masked eyes, wishing that you could see his real ones. He hesitated, before finally sighing. You watched as he split the Beef Jerky in two, and gave you the seemingly bigger piece.

"Let's come to a compromise." He said softly. "I'll eat some, if you promise to share."

You rolled your eyes and finally nodded, taking the piece he handed to you, and taking a little bite. Cry gave a pleased smirk.

"Happy?" I asked, after I finished chewing. He nodded, before taking a bite of his own piece.

"Very." He replied.

"AWWW!"

You blinked, before looking to Cry's left, to the man sitting on the bed beside him, grinning like an idiot as he watched you and Cry talk.

"You guys are adorable together," He said.

You rolled your eyes, before taking another bite of the beef jerky. "Shut up, Felix."

Felix burst into laughter, but it died quickly as a much larger figure entered the room.

You gasped as Larry barged in, grabbed your wrist, and yanked you out of the room. You lightly yelled as he began to pull you across the balcony, toward the stairs. You watched Cry's figure bolt out of the bedroom and follow you.

"Let her go, you son of a bitch!" He snapped. Cry reached out to grab you, but Larry yanked you further away. When the three of you were down the stairs, Larry threw you onto the ground. You landed on your ass and looked up to him, eyes wide. Cry was at your side in a moment, pulling you to your feet.

"You're OUT?!" Larry snarled. "What happened to MY food?!"

"Th-There's none left!" You gasped out, still watching him with wide eyes. Larry scoffed.

"Yeah?! Well, there's certainly enough for you and your little boyfriend here to be sharing and laughing together about!"

"Larry, you're an asshole!" Cry snapped. "Shut up!"

Larry ignored Cry, and kept his glare on you. "You keep treating people like this, you little cunt, and your days in this group are numbered."

"You're one to talk, old man!" Kenny had piped up from where he stood, only arriving moments ago.

"Yeah?!" Larry asked. "Well, I don't see YOU working on that wall!"

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving you, Cry, Kenny, and the three other young men (who were running down the stairs and toward you) in the middle of the parking lot. You looked to Cry, and watched as he checked your arms and legs.

"Are you hurt too badly?" Cry asked. "I'll kick that asshole's fucking ass so hard-"

"I'm fine." You cut him off. He stopped checking and looked up at you, before taking your hand.

"Are you sure, Princess? Because-"

"I said, I'm fine." You repeated, squeezing his hand. Cry continued to stare... before finally sighing and letting go of your hand.

"Okay." He mumbled, letting himself stare at you for a little longer, then looking away. "Good."

"Kenny. Cry. [Your Name]. Come here, please."

The call came from Katjaa. You gave a concerned look to Cry, before the three of you head in her direction. Her arms were crossed, though she didn't look angry. She just looked a little... worried. And sad. As you two approached, your eyes lifted to meet the one-legged man's still body.

"He didn't make it, did he?" Kenny asked.

Katjaa shook her head. "He lost too much blood."

"God damn it!" Kenny swore. He turned and stormed away, leaving the conversation at that. You and Cry stayed, though. Katjaa looked to you two.

"Ken, come back!" Katjaa turned back to Kenny. "There's nothing-"

"Let him go, Kat." Cry interrupted.

"But-"

"He just needs time." Cry continued. "He's had a rough morning."

Katjaa sighed... and then nodded.

"That man you brought... I tried," She explained. "but he was never going to survive."

"Well... at least he's not our problem, anymore." You mumbled.

"What about the other kid?" Katjaa asked. "Is _he _our problem?"

You parted your mouth to speak, but before you could, the one-legged man suddenly rose... as a walker. Your eyes widened, and your jaw dropped. You gasped as the walker reached up and grabbed Katjaa by the face and shoulders.

"WHOA!" Cry gasped. "NO! NO, NO!" He dove into action, trying to grab Katjaa from the walker.

"KENNY!" You screamed, calling for the woman's husband. "HELP!"

Cry successfully pulled Katjaa off, and Katjaa went running into Kenny's arms as the redneck approached. People began crowding over. Cry turned and called to Mark, asking for the axe he'd apparently let the man use earlier. You watched with wide eyes as the walker rose, and reached out to grab Cry.

"CRY!" You screamed. Cry turned, but the walker successfully latched onto him, and pulled him into the bed of the truck.

"NO!" You screamed again. You sprinted forward and got onto the truck, going behind the walker, and grabbing onto it's shoulders. The walker pulled, and as Cry pushed, he'd freed himself. He watched with wide eyes as the walker turned and latched onto you, grabbing onto your hair and pulling at it, as he tried to sink his teeth into you. You screamed from fear and pain and struggled to pull it off. Suddenly, the blade of your axe had gone through the walker's skull, killing it immediately. You watched Mark pull the axe away, and then watched Cry throw the walker to the ground.

Your masked friend made his way back to you on the bed and began examining you to bites. You said nothing – too stunned to speak. Once he'd finished checking you, he pulled you into a big hug, holding you tightly. You felt his fast heart-beat against your chest.

"Why'd you bring him here in the first place, asshole?!" Larry's voice snapped. You felt Cry's grip on you tighten. You stayed close in his hold as he turned. He didn't release you, but he did send a glare (or so you imagined he did through his mask) toward Larry.

"Dad, calm down!" Lilly gasped.

"You're gonna get us all killed!" Larry continued to badger Cry.

You watched as Kenny turned to Ben, and pointed. "YOU said he wasn't bitten!"

"What?!" Ben asked

Cry looked to you as you whispered that you were fine, and slid away from his grasp. You slid off of the bed of the truck, and he followed, standing next to you. He crossed his arms.

"We asked you point blank if he was bitten," Kenny continued, "And you said 'No'!"

"He wasn't!" Ben defended.

"Well your 'Not Bitten' friend here just came back to life, and tried to KILL my wife!" Kenny yelled.

"What?!" Ben asked. Then, realization sunk into his face. Color began to drain. He gasped. "Wait... you all don't know?"

"What the Hell are you talking about?!" Kenny snarled.

Ben hesitated, looking to each and every one of you. You eyed him curiously, and slid a little closer to Cry. Cry put his arm around you in a comforting way.

"It's not the bite that does it." Ben said at last. "You come back no matter how you die. If you don't destroy the brain, that's just what happens. It's gonna happen to all of us."

Cry was the next to speak.

_"We're all infected?"_


	9. Chapter 9

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**The St. John Dairy**_

_Your P.O.V._

"We're all infected? Everyone?"

"I-I guess so..." Ben's voice was soft. "I don't know. All I know, is that I've seen people turn, who I _know_ were never bitten."

Everyone gathered a little closer to Ben, interested, silently waiting for him to continue. He looked a little nervous, but he did.

"When I first saw it happen, we were all hiding out in the gym, and everybody thought we were finally safe. But one of the girls... Jenny Pitcher, I think... I guess she couldn't take it. She took some pills... a-a lot of them..." He paused. "Some of the girls went into the room the next morning... and... God..."

Suddenly, bells. Your head perked as you looked to the little ringing alarm system that Doug had been installing. It caught everyone's attention. Cry's grip on you tightened, and he pulled you closer. Everyone crouched down. You patted Cry's hand, before moving away from him, and toward the wall, beside Mark. Cry followed, staying close at your side. I had to keep myself from giving an amused smile as Mark whispered to Doug, "Hey, it works!".

"Of 'course it works!" Doug scoffed, voice soft. "I told you!"

"Shit, where'd this string come from?" A sudden, new voice piped up on the other side of the wall.

"Watch where you're walking, man."

Ben made his way to the wall, beside Lilly. Lilly sent him a glare.

"Who are those people?!" She whispered. Ben put his hands up in defense.

"I-I don't know!"

"Are they the people that raided your camp, sir?" Cry called out to Ben, his voice soft.

"I don't think so, but they all had their faces covered, so I don't know." Ben replied.

Kenny, who'd placed himself on the other side of Lilly, piped up.

"There's only two of them!" He gestured to his gun. "We need to make a stand!"

"No! We have a routine," Lilly argued. "We don't confront them if we don't have to."

"Ya'll all right?" A voice called from the other side of the fence.

"Yeah," The other voice replied. "Just getting' untangled."

"I don't know how you're still alive, man." The first one commented.

"Sorry, Lilly, we gotta do this!" Kenny growled. He stood, and aimed his gun. "That's far enough!" He called out.

You sent a worried look to Cry, but he shook his head, as if to say things would be okay. You looked back to Kenny, before the two of you slowly stood. Now with your axe, you held it close. Cry pulled a hand-gun from his belt.

"Oh, shit!" One of the voices on the other side of the fence said. "Okay, okay... uh, no problem!"

"We don't want any trouble!" Cry called out.

"Of 'course!" The voice called. "Neither do we!"

You peered over the fence as Cry did, and spotted two middle-aged men. One looked clean and... trustable. The other looked a little too creepy to you, but you pushed that thought into the back of your mind.

"I'm Andy St. John," The first one, the cleaner one, spoke. "This here," He gestured to the second. "is my brother Danny. We're just out lookin' for gasoline. Looks like you folks got the motel locked down, which is fine, but uh... if you could spare any gas, we'd be much obliged."

"What do you need gas for?" Lilly asked.

"Our place is protected by an electric fence," Danny replied. "Generators provide the electricity."

"Our generators run on gas," Andy continued. "Look, we own a dairy farm up the road. If ya'll'd be willin' to lower your guns, maybe we could offer some kind of trade."

"How ya'll doin' on food?" Danny asked. "We've got plenty at the dairy!"

Your eyes widened. You looked to Cry, though his focus wasn't on you. You watched him lick his lips. You knew he was thinking about the food now, too.

"Cry," Lilly suddenly chimed in, whispering. "Why don't you, Mark, Felix, and [Your Name] check the place out? See if it's legit?"

"I'll go, too." Doug offered.

You hummed with thought.

"So, uh..." Andy started again. "What're ya'll thinkin'?"

"We'll go," Cry finally spoke, after what seemed like several seconds. He then lowered his breath and whispered very softly, "But I'm having the Princess bring her mother-fucking axe."

You gave a small grin and elbowed Cry playfully. Cry smiled at you, before continuing.

"We'll bring SOME gas up to the dairy, and in exchange, you give us some food to bring back. We'll see how it goes from there."

"Sounds fair!" Andy said, smiling. "Just a couple of gallons should power our generators for a while."

_Cry's P.O.V._

"So, this dairy, you guys really have food?"

"Sure do! We lost most of the cattle, but we still have plenty of milk, butter, and cheese stocked up."

"And with the vegetables we grow, we got plenty of food!"

Mark, Felix, and [Your Name] were up ahead with the St. John Brothers, getting to know them while Doug and I lagged behind. I watched [Your Name] carefully, making sure the brothers did nothing stupid with her. Luckily, they seemed like calm and sane people, so I wasn't too worried about them trying to do something bad. As we walked, Doug and I were quiet for the most part, but I decided to speak. Might as well strike up a conversation. Doug and I never really had enough time to get to know each other very much during the last few months... I'd been giving most of my attention toward [Your Name] and Clem.

"Thanks for tagging along, Doug." I smiled as I spoke, sending him a glance.

"Sure!" Doug replied. "I'd like to get a look at that electric fence they were talking about. It might give me some ideas for something I can rig up at the motor-inn."

"Can an electric fence really stop walkers?" I wondered out loud.

"As long as the walkers aren't completely dehydrated, and the generators have enough juice... yeah, it seems possible. The electricity basically cooks you from the inside out, right?"

"I.. guess so?" I mumbled.

"So, if a walker stays in contact with the fence long enough, it'll eventually cook it's brain. Probably takes a while, though." He paused. "God, that's gotta smell, though. Unless it smells like jerky. God, I could go for some jerky right now."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, slightly amused by his sudden change in thinking. I looked over to him, then down to his hand. I noticed something grasped between his fingers. I curiously raised my eyebrow.

"What's that you got there?" I asked.

Doug looked down to his hand. "Oh. It's nothing. Just a laser-pointer I picked up during the last trip to the Drug-Store." Doug put it in his back pocket. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, I heard Mark say my name.

"I mean, thank God Cry showed up when he did." Mark looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. "Right, Cry?"

I watched as Danny began to lag behind, and when he was close enough, fell into step beside me. Doug went ahead and picked up the pace, taking Danny's spot next to Mark.

"Yeah, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself, Cry?" Danny suggested. "Where are you from?"

_God, that guy creeps me out._ I thought. I smiled at him.

"I move around a lot," I lied. "Hard to call any places home, I guess."

"I used to move around a bit myself," Danny said. "But, the Dairy will always be home to me."

"Ya'll seem pretty settled in at that motor-inn. Who's running things over there?"

I didn't even realize Andy had moved to my other side before he spoke. Damn, that one creeped me out, too. But I continued to smile and act casual.

"It's a democracy, pretty much." I said honestly. "We all look out for each other."

"I hear that!" Andy smiled. "There's so many dumbasses out there fighting each other these days, it's just stupid."

"How many people you got over there, anyway?" Danny asked, stealing a glance toward me.

"Well, we got a new arrival today," I quickly changed the subject. "Ben. He's an alright kid, I think. He just lost the last of his group a couple hours ago, though. But we're all looking forward to some food. We really need it."

"Well, here's to helping each other out!" Andy smiled. "We'd love to get you _all_ out to the dairy. Like I said, we've got plenty of food, and quite frankly, we can use an extra hand. Momma's been runnin' the dairy for as long as I remember," He paused. "But now-"

"YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA CUT ME OUT OF THIS?!"

A sudden voice boomed, only a little ways away. My eyes widened. I looked around, but there was no other people with our small group. Out of instinct, I left the St John Brothers' sides and made my way to [Your Name]. She looked a little frightened, but more confused than anything else. I gently took her wrist, and she moved a little closer to me.

"Get down!" Andy snapped. Everyone moved into a crouching position, and I watched as the Brothers made their way to a couple of bushes. I followed after, keeping [Your Name] close as we moved. When we got to the Brothers' sides again, the rest of the group was with us.

Beyond the bushes, the trail we had been walking on curved downward, and into an empty forest-clearing. In that, only two men stood, each armed with guns and glaring at each other. I couldn't see much of their detail from where I stood, but I wasn't about to venture fourth to get a better look.

"No one's trying to cut you out of anything!" The man on the right snapped, throwing his arms up for a moment.

"Fuckin' bandits..." Danny whispered. I looked to him, eyeing him curiously.

"Who?" I asked.

"Do you think those could be the people who raided Ben's camp?" Doug whispered, thinking out loud. I blinked.

"Possibly...?"

"Fuckin' assholes is who they are." Andy whispered as he replied to my previous question.

"There's only two of them," [Your Name] suddenly piped up.

"Yeah, we ate it all! What are you gonna fuckin' do about it?!" One of the bandits snapped to the other, continuing on the conversation that I had only been half paying attention to.

"Don't worry," Andy whispered. "Danny and I got you covered, in case anything happens, but... let's just stay low and quiet, and hope they move on-"

"FUCK YOU!"

I watched, eyes growing even wider as one of the bandits kicked the other in the chest, then shot them right in the face. [Your Name] tensed. I pulled her closer. The bandit towered over the other one and continued to shoot.

"FUCK. YOU. FUCK. YOU."

With every shot, the bandit screamed the curse-word. Finally, when he felt satisfied, he spit on the bandit, before turning and walking away.

"Asshole." The bandit muttered.

"The world out here has gone to shit." Andy mumbled. I turned to him, and noticed him staring to me. He smiled. "Come on," He raised his voice a little now, since the bandit had walked off. "Let's get back to the dairy, where it's safe."

_Your P.O.V._

The dairy was very large, and had lots of room. Atop a small hill, a cute little white house sat, and a little ways away from that, a barn. You immediately spotted a broken swing-set, and your first thoughts were _If I can fix that swing, Clementine can play on it if she ends up coming up!_. The land was peaceful, and nice. Your mood was already improving here.

After the little thing that happened in the forest with the bandits, you and Cry had held hands the rest of the way to the dairy. It was more for security than romance. You felt a little uneasy watching the bandits go at it... and knowing Cry was there made you feel better. Plus, he didn't seem to mind holding your hand while the two of you walked. In fact... he seemed a little happy, which honestly surprised you, as you would have expected him to get bored or awkward.

As you approached, you noticed the sign that read _St. John Dairy_ held up by two long poles that stuck out of the ground. It was a cute little sign... just like the rest of the dairy. A smile slipped onto your lips as Andy and Danny trotted ahead, before turning around. Andy threw his hands up in the air and gave an enthusiastic grin.

"Here it is!" He announced. "The St. John's Family Dairy!"

Your little group continued walking, and as you did, Andy continued to offer little trivia moments about the dairy, like mentioning how great the trees' grew and how big the fruit was on them, or gestured to the apparently real electric fence, which needed a generator... which needed gas.

As we reached a gate that would allow us into the property, and as Andy was opening it, Anthony piped up from beside you.

"This is a brilliant set-up!"

"Suits us just fine!" Andy laughed.

"This place is untouched," You commented, your head tilting left and right as you looked around. "You'd never tell that the rest of the world was in ruins!"

"It's worth protecting," Andy looked to you, and smiled. "Hence, all the juice."

You smiled back, and then looked behind him, to a larger, older woman walking toward the gate. Your little group slipped through, and Danny shut the gate behind you guys, before you all turned to see the woman greeting you. You thought she looked a bit creepy... like her son, Danny, but as soon as she opened her mouth, you knew she was a friendly lady.

"I thought I saw ya'll with company, coming down the drive!" She exclaimed, her southern accent really kicking in. She gestured to Andy and Danny as she spoke. The two of them beamed.

"Guys, this is our Momma." Andy introduced.

"I'm Brenda Saint John," The woman grinned. "And welcome to the Saint John Dairy!"

You smiled, but you couldn't help but have your eyes drifting to the basket of food in her hand. They looked like... biscuits. Your mouth began to water.

"This here is Cry," Andy said to his mother, gesturing to Cry. "He moves around a lot, but with things the way they are, maybe we can convince him to stick around for a while."

"They've got a few more friends staying at the old motel," Danny added.

"Oh my Goodness, that place is pretty vulnerable!" Brenda gasped. She looked back to Cry. "Have ya'll got someone with survival experience to lead your group?"

"We all work together," Cry replied. "Plus, we've got a few people with military experience."

"Well, that's good to hear." Brenda mumbled. "That motel ain't the safest place. Now that ya'll are here, we'll make sure you're safe and comfortable!"

"Does that offer apply to the rest of us?" You dare speak up. Brenda's eyes flicked to you. She studied you for a moment.

"Awh! Aren't you a pretty thing!" She smiled. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

You felt your cheeks heat. "[Your Name]." You replied.

"Well! That's a very beautiful name, [Your Name]."

"We're all incredibly hungry..." Doug pointed out. It was Brenda's turn to beam. You watched as she moved the basket in her hands forward.

"This here is for ya'll." She said sweetly.

"Can't get stuff like that anymore," Danny pointed out. "Not without a cow for milk and butter, that's for sure."

"That's right!" Brenda agreed. "Hopefully Maybelle will get over this bout of whatever she's got, and be with us for a good long while."

"Your cow is sick?" Cry asked. "What's she-"

"We have a vet!" Mark interrupted. "We could bring her here! We could help you folks out!"

"A vet? Oh, my!" Brenda gasped. "Our prayers have been answered!"

"Maybe our whole group could come..." Mark pressed on. "For the day?"

"Well, how about this..." Brenda started. "Ya'll go back to your camp and get your veterinary friend, and I'll cook up some dinner! A big feast for all you hungry souls! It'll be nice to have some folks to help around here again." She continued. "Danny, why don't you help Momma out in the kitchen?"

Danny gave a small nod, and the two of them left to venture into the house.

"Why don't I take the food, and round up everyone at the motor-inn for the trip up here?" DOug suggested. Andy nodded.

"You might wanna take someone with you," Andy mentioned. "The road can be dangerous alone."

"I'll tag along!"

You looked over your shoulder, your eyes landing on Felix. The blonde Swede had been quiet for most of the trip... you had forgotten he was even there. He smiled brightly, his blue eyes shining.

"Take this, Doug."

You looked back to Mark, who was handing Doug his rifle.

"Thanks, Mark." Doug nodded. Mark nodded back. Doug turned to you and Cry. "Cry. [Your Name]. See you in a while."

"Keep Clementine safe on the way up here!" You chimed in as the two of them began to walk down the drive. "If she so much as trips over a rock, I'm kicking your asses!"

Doug and Felix looked a little frightened at the comment, but gave you their promise of protecting Clem before they scampered off, food in hand. You watched them go and laughed, covering your mouth with your hand as you did so.

"Mark, Cry, [Your Name]," Andy started up again. The three of you turned to him. "Why don't the three of you look around? And once you're settled, I could use some help securin' the perimeter."

"Is there a problem?" Cry asked, curiously.

"Sometimes, the get tangled in the fence and fry up, and end up knockin' over a post. I could use some help, if maybe two of you are okay with walking around the perimeter."

"Sure, Cry and I can do it," Mark chimed in. You turned to look to Mark, and felt a little upset that he didn't include you. He sensed your hurt feelings and quickly turned to you, raising a hand and placing it on your shoulder. "I'm just saying, it's probably best if you stay here, and wait for the rest of the group to get back. Clementine will want to be with someone she completely trusts when she arrives."

You processed the thought through your head, thinking about how meeting up with Clementine on the dairy would go... before nodding. Your eyes flicked back to the broken swing in the enclosed fence area. You could entertain yourself with fixing that up while you waited for one of the two groups to return. You finally looked back to Mark and nodded.

"Okay." You agreed.

"Cry, you and Mark could learn a little somethin' 'bout the fence while ya'll are securin' it," Andy added. "I'm gonna go top off the generators, so they don't run dry. Come find me when you're done or need any help."

"Will do, sir." Cry nodded. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, kid." Andy laughed. He then eyed you, and gave a light smile.

"And you. Don't ya'll hesitate in askin' me for assistance or company, either. I sure could use a conversation with a new friend. Been'a while since I've hung out with anyone but my Ma and Brother."

You smiled back, and nodded. "Thank you, Andy." You replied. "I will."

Andy gave a curt nod of his head, then turned and trotted to a different part of the dairy. You turned to look to Mark and Cry... and then realized you and Cry were still holding hands. A hot blush coded your cheeks, and you quickly pulled your hand away, shyly gazing toward your feet. You heard nervous mumbles come from Cry, before he spoke to Mark about the fence or something. You were too lost in your nervous thoughts and feelings to really tell what was going on. Finally, a hand rested on your shoulder, and you looked up. Cry was smiling at you, and you imagined a pair of beautiful, lit-up eyes behind his mask.

"We'll be back soon, Princess." He said softly. "Okay?"

You nodded. "Okay, Cry." You paused... then mumbled, "Be safe, okay?"

Cry leaned in, and your blush grew darker as he planted a kiss on your forehead. "Always."

You'd fixed the swing for Clementine and Duck, knowing they'd be happy you did when they arrived. As you looked for something else you do, you couldn't help but let your eyes wander over Andy, by his generator. The man seemed decent and trustable... and, if this place ended up being a permanent living situation, you'd want to be good friends with him. He kind of seemed like that Uncle figure to you. Someone you could look up to. You really liked him.

You decided you'd visit with him for a while, as you said you would. When you'd arrived at the generator, he looked up to you and smiled, before finishing up the rest of his work on the machine and standing. He wiped some sweat off of his forehead and gave you a respective nod.

"Hi!" He spoke cheerfully.

"Hi," You replied, your smile only widening at his enthusiasm. His widened, too.

"I'm glad you guys decided to help us out," Andy mentioned. "I noticed that back at the motel, you folks are pretty well-armed. You've been stalkpiling, eh?"

You gave a slow nod. "Well, it's only necessary. The world has gone to shit, and there are monsters trying to eat the living. Plus, there are dangerous living out there, too. Anyone that tries to fuck with US will regret it."

Andy smirked, his eyes lighting a bit. "A strong woman who's not afraid to speak their mind or get into a fight. I like that in a woman."

You scoffed and playfully punched Andy in the arm. He laughed back.

"Well, protecting your people _is_ important," He started again. "However... with my experience, having that many guns around is when people get dangerous."

You nodded... and then decided to change the subject. "Are we your firsts guests at this dairy?" You asked. "It seems pretty successful... we can't be the first ones here that's not part of your family."

Andy's smile faltered, but still remained. You noticed he looked a little nervous, but brushed it off. Probably nothing.

"Well, no, we've made deals with other folks. Trading gas and food, but ultimately they moved on – looking for people they've lost contact with."

"I see." You mumbled. So, other survivors have stayed on this farm. Interesting. You gestured to the fences. "The fence keeps out the walkers?"

"Walkers?" Andy looked amused. "Is that what you call them? That's good! Well, the old one wouldn't have, but Mac – he was our foreman – he figured out how to amp it up with the generators." He suddenly gave a grin. "We used to sit out here some nights and watch the sons o' bitches sizzle and pop when they got too close. It's the closest thing to entertainment these days."

"These generators are enough to power the whole dairy?" You asked.

Andy nodded. "We got lots. And we gotta keep tradin' for fuel as much as we can. But they all work together to do the trick. ...Like us."

You wanted to say something next, but before you could, Andy suddenly stepped away from the generators, and moved a little closer to you. He rested his hand against the wooden fence at your side and leaned against it, before looking you up and down and smiling sincerely.

"So, what's a Flower like you doing up 'ere in the South, anyhow?" He asked, curiously. "You don't seem like the type of gal who wants to be trompin' 'round in country-side grass."

You began to feel a little nervous, but you tried your best to look casual.

"Well, when this whole mess started, I was originally in the North." You answered. "I'd been in a car crash. Cry found me and together, we explored until we... found this little girl. She saved us from a walker, actually."

Andy looked curious, but his eyes kept flicking away from yours, and you wondered if he really was paying attention to you. When you finally finished your story, he finally cast his gaze into yours again, before standing straight, and reached a hand out to brush against your arm.

"That's interesting. Well, Cry must be a mighty fine boyfriend to have."

You flushed. "He's not my boyfriend."

Andy's eyes lit-up even brighter. "Erm, or whatever he is. He's a good friend. Ya'll should keep 'im around."

You laughed, put pulled away from his touch. "I don't plan on ever letting him out of my sight for too long."

Andy grinned, and reached out to touch you again, but before he could, giggling and laughing sounded from behind you. You quickly turned around, your eyes landing on the group from the motor-inn as they made their way toward you. Everyone was there except for Doug and Felix... who were missing. Clementine's wide smile and bright eyes caught your attention, and you crouched down and spread your arms as you welcomed her into a warm embrace.

"Hey there, Clementine!" You giggled. "Make the trip up here okay?"

"Yes!" Clementine grinned. You smiled and tussled her hair... and then realized her hat was gone. You blinked. "Where's your hat, Clem?"

The rest of the group began to talk to Andy as the man introduced himself and his dairy. However, you and Clementine continued to talk. She looked a little upset, now.

"I lost it." She replied. "Can you help me find it?"

"Sure!" I nodded. "When did you last have it?"

"I had it a couple days ago..."

"Well, I promise, if it turns up back at the motor-inn, I'll let you know."

Clem smiled up at you.

"Hey, [Your Name]," Andy's voice chirped from behind you. You stood up and turned around, sending him a smile and a curious look. He smiled back, before gesturing toward the house.

"I think you missed it, but Danny just called for you from the house. I think Brenda needs some help in the kitchen, or somethin'."

You blinked, and then nodded. "Okay!" You replied. "I'm more than happy to help out."

You turned and placed a hand on Clementine's head. "I'll be back soon, sweetie, okay?"

Clementine nodded. "Okay." She replied.

You turned and made your way up the drive, nearing the house closer and closer as you went. As you walked, you couldn't help but feel a strange sense of danger in your steps. Like, something absolutely horrible was waiting for you. ...You pushed the thought into the back of your mind. This was a dairy, run by amazingly kind people during the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! You needed to give yourself a break! You'd been going non-stop for weeks without food. You deserved to relax.

As you slipped through the house, you were greeted by Brenda. She wasn't smiling... she was _smirking._ She held a knife in her hand. She eyed you. You felt _really _nervous now.

"Hey, Brenda! Need any- mpppphh!"

You gasped as a sudden hand snaked around your body and knocked you into their chest, and their other hand clamped over your mouth. Your eyes went wide, fear rapidly growing inside you. You suddenly felt... dizzy. You noticed the hand that held you had a rag to it... with liquid. You stopped inhaling, trying to save yourself, but it was too late. You fell limp in your captors hold, your eyes fluttering shut, only hearing the last of a conversation.

"Are we going to use this one?"

"Nah. Not enough meat on her bones. But you and Andy have been workin' off yer asses for months now. Ya'll deserve a pretty lil' flower like this."

"Really, Momma?"

"Of 'course, Danny boy! Go ahead and tie 'er up in the bedroom. Save 'er for later."

_"Yes, Momma."_


	10. Chapter 10

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**Stop To Smell The Roses**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

Ambushed. We were ambushed. By _bandits!_

We sprinted through the dairy farm together, Mark lagging just a little behind me. I tried to keep him close, but it wasn't easy for him to walk. A long, skinny arrow stuck out of his right shoulder, causing him to wince, groan, and pant with pain. He looked up to me, peering through his square glasses with those brown eyes. They showed pain... confusion. I felt sorry for him.

As we began to near the house, people started to notice Mark's condition. By now, the rest of the group had made it to the dairy. People began to crowd around as Mark and I finally stopped in the middle of the land. Andy, Brenda, and Danny approached, each one with wide eyes and dropped jaws at the sight of Mark. I looked around, my eyes scanning the crowd for my girls. Clementine was with Duck, toward the back of the crowd... probably for the best. However, [Your Name] was no where to be seen. Worry began to raise inside of me. Where had she gone?

Everyone began to talk all at once. I couldn't process all the voices in my head so quickly. I wanted to scream for them to slow down so we could explain, but I kept my mouth shut. I only watched as people began to grow fearful, worried, or angry. All the while, Mark just stood there, holding his shoulder, probably wishing that someone would actually come to their heads and help him out.

"Cry, what happened?!" Andy asked.

"It was a god damned ambush out there!" I snapped, my brows knitting together to form a frown.

"Holy shit!" Danny gasped, his eyes wide, and set on Mark. His hands began shaking. "A-Are you okay?!"

"Bandits? Here?!" Andy asked, lightly frowning. "On _our_ property?!"

"Oh, my Lord!" Brenda exclaimed. She ran up to Mark. "What happened to you, sweetheart?!"

"It was those bastards in the woods, Momma!" Andy growled, still under disbelief that a bandit had shot Mark.

"Yeah, I'll be alright once it's out..." Mark mumbled. He winced and took in a breath through his teeth. "But _God Damn_, it hurts."

"Christ!" Lilly's voice came from somewhere in the crowd. "Are you gonna be okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm... fine..." Mark groaned. "I should just..." He keeled over a little. "Pull it out..."

"Oh, no, honey," Brenda argued. "C'mon inside, Brenda's got you. C'mon, now." She took Mark by his good arm and began to lead him inside. Katjaa followed after. "We'll get you all sorted out."

I watched him limp away, more worry continuing to grow inside me. I didn't like the idea of Mark being alone with those people. Even if he had Katjaa with him. The St Johns' said that this place was safe. They were wrong. My suspicion was raising.

"What kind of shit is this?!" Larry suddenly snapped. I looked up to see his greenish-brown gaze as he quickly approached me. He looked so angry... like he was ready to punch me in the face. I _did not_ want another one of those from the old asshole.

"We ran into some people on the way up here," I explained to him. "Bandits or something. I think they were the ones that attacked us."

"They gave us a lot of trouble in the beginning," Andy chimed in, still standing next to his brother. "Killed a bunch of our farm hands. We were able to get 'em to stop by makin' a deal!"

Kenny, who stood only a little ways away from Andy, suddenly glared, clenching his fists. "You _knew_ about these people?" He asked the farmer.

"Food for protection," Danny added. "They didn't give us much of a choice, but they _did_ stop hasslin' us."

"God, damn it!" Larry growled. "Dough and Felix said this place was locked down tight!"

I thought for a moment... before frowning.

"Maybe it isn't as safe here as we thought." I mumbled.

"Look, we're sorry!" Andy suddenly said quickly, flashing me a look. "We've never seen them screw with us like _this_. Not since we started givin' 'em food." He turned to Kenny, then back to me. "Look, we may have had an agreement with these people, but we _will not _stand for this shit!"

"Ain't no way those sons o' bitches will get away with this..." Danny mumbled, looking as creepy as ever. Chills ran up my spine.

"You know where these assholes are?" Kenny asked.

"They're hard to pin down," Danny said. "But I think I know where at least _ONE _of their camps are." He suddenly turned to me. "You should take a bit to rest, but when you're ready to go scope out that bandit camp, you come find us."

I slowly nodded. "Sure thing, Danny."

The St. John Brothers walked away, leaving me and the rest of the group to speak. I scanned the crowd again, and discovered, again, no trace of [Your Name]. However, I did notice that Ben also hadn't made an appearance, which puzzled me a little.

"Bandits? Are you serious?" Lilly mumbled. She turned to me and frowned. "This place isn't safe. We can't stay here."

"Not safe?!" Kenny asked, turning to her. I sensed a fight coming up. "This place is hell of a lot safer than that motor-inn! I think all of us with our _guns_ can handle a couple of punks with _bows and arrows_." He turned back to me. "What we need to do is figure out a way to get our whole group out here to stay." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Take it over, if we have to."

"Whoa, cool your jets there, Flambo," Larry sighed. "These are nice people, here. Let's not do anything to get us thrown out _before_ we eat."

"In a bit, I'm going to head out with Danny to that bandit camp," I whispered. "While I'm gone, I want you guys to make good friends with Brenda and Andy."

"Well, that's easy!" Larry laughed. "I got charm coming out of my ass!"

"Yeah, that's... real charming, Dad." Lilly grumbled, a disgusted expression on her face.

"Where are Doug, Felix, and Ben?" I asked suddenly, my curiosity getting the best of me. "And [Your Name]?"

Lilly turned to me. "Since Doug and Felix ate some of the food on their way to get us, the two of them volunteered to hang back at the motor-inn on watch. They kept Ben with them." She paused. "As for [Your Name]... I believe Brenda needed some help cooking in the house. You might find her, there."

"Hey," A voice suddenly piped up. Your little group turned to look at Andy, who'd approached again. "[Your Name] went ahead and fixed up that swing over there," He gestured to a now fixed swing only a little ways away. "for the kids while ya'll were away. Real sweat'a her, too."

Clementine, who had taken her place beside me some time during the argument from before, gasped, and grabbed Duck's hand.

"A swing! I love swings!" She exclaimed. She ran forward, dragging Duck behind her. "Just like at my treehouse! Come on, Duck!"

Kenny chuckled and mumbled, "I should probably supervise."

I nodded. "I'll come with you. Danny's right. I want to get a little rest before we head out to find the bandit camp."

Kenny smiled at me, and together, we made our way over to the swing. Duck had claimed the swing first, excitedly bouncing in it as he watched the two of us approach.

"Push me, Dad!" He called out. "Push me, push me, push me!"

"Okay, okay, boy. Calm down." Kenny laughed. I smiled, a spark of happiness igniting in my chest as I watched Kenny happily push his boy. With how amazingly peaceful the dairy was, and the good atmosphere and the promise of food, you'd hardly know that the zombie apocalypse was even happening. This was good. It was all good.

Kenny looked to me, and gestured for me to walk over. I avoided Duck's feet as he swung forward and made my way over to the ball-capped man. He gave me a half-look as he continued pushing Duck, before mumbling, "Find anything interesting?"

I shrugged. "I'm just trying to make sure this place is secure before we make it a long-term solution." I answered. "Except for those people in the woods, it seems pretty safe."

Kenny nodded, and continued to push Duck. "Good to know. Keep your ears open, though, in case anything else is to happen."

I nodded. "I will, Ken." I paused, and then raised an eyebrow. "How you holdin' up, anyway?"

Kenny thought for a moment. "I hope they feed us, Cry. Soon." It was his turn to pause. "On the way over here, I was getting' dizzy. Hands shakin', cold sweats... I thought I was gonna pass out."

"They've got food, here." I mumbled.

"Yeah, but I'm not just talkin' about one meal..." He turned to look at me. "You know?"

"I guess Lilly doesn't want to be here," I replied, changing the subject. He huffed and looked back, pushing the swing again.

"I couldn't give two shits about what Lilly wants." Kenny snapped, grumbling. "Duck and Katjaa need food, and I'm not about to sit at the motor-inn and watch them go hungry." He waited a moment. "You're with me on that, right?"

"Of 'course I am, Ken." I replied. "I don't want to watch Clem and [Your Name] starve to death, either. They're important to me. They're..."

"Family." Kenny finished. "And family is important. Even if their not blood, Cry, those girls are still your family. Clementine is like a daughter, and [Your Name] is like a wife. You've known her long enough to know if you'd like that, at least."

My face flushed, and I nervously cleared my throat. "Anyway..." I mumbled. "Lilly's judgment is clouded, but you seem to have a clear head on things. Did Duck and Katjaa get here okay?"

"Well, it wasn't easy." Kenny mumbled. "Duck didn't look so good on the walk over to this place."

"Well, if everything works out, maybe Duck and Katjaa can have an easier life here." I suggested.

"I sure hope you're right," Kenny mumbled. "Duck and Clementine deserve a far better life than starving to death at that motel."

I nodded, and opened my mouth to speak, but AS ALWAYS, I got interrupted before I could talk. But this time, the source of the interruption wasn't bad. I slightly turned to my left and spotted Clementine. I gave a small smile and left Kenny's side, making my way over to her, before crouching down. I brought her into a hug, and she hugged me back, her embrace tight. When we pulled away, I'd reached up to ruffle her hair, and noticed her hat was missing.

"Where's your hat?" I asked. Her face darkened a little. She sighed.

"I don't know." She admitted. "[Your Name] said she was going to help me find it, when we go back to the motor-inn."

"Ah, alright. Do you like the swing Clem?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Her face brightened again, and she gestured toward the swing. "It's fun!"

I smiled. "Well, next time you see [Your Name], make sure you tell her 'Thank You', okay?"

"Okay."

That reminded me. I had to go to the house and check on [Your Name]. Toward the back of my mind, my worry for her continued to grow. I'd had expected her to at least stop cooking and come out to check on Mark or the noise when we'd arrived... but she hadn't. And that worried me, because I know how curious she was.

I stood up, ready to go to the house, when Clementine suddenly grabbed the sleeve of my jacket. I looked to her and raised an eyebrow, though I knew she couldn't see me to do.

"What's up, squirt?" I asked. Clementine hesitated, looking between me and the swing. I sighed. "You want me to push you on the swing, huh?"

Clementine slowly nodded. "Yes, please."

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my lips. I really wanted to get to [Your Name], but I knew she could wait a couple more minutes. I gave a slow nod, then turned to Kenny.

"Hey, can Clementine have a turn?" I asked.

Kenny nodded to me, before smiling at his son. "Alright, Duck. Come on, let's let Clementine have a turn."

Duck seemed reluctant, but he did as he was told and hopped off the swing, landing in the dirt with a jump that he was proud of. He and his father moved off to the side and watched as Clementine climbed on the swing. I moved behind her, grabbed the ropes, and slowly began to push her. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at me for a moment, before looking back, and beginning to enjoy the swing. I smiled. This was nice. Clementine deserved a break from all the bullshit that was going on in the real world.

"How are you doing, Clementine?" I spoke gently as I pushed her. She swung her legs out a little bit with each push to gain speed, but she didn't let herself go too high.

"I'm okay..." She spoke after a moment of thought. "Are _you_ okay?"

I shrugged. "I'm a little worried about Mark's shoulder," I admitted.

"Is he going to be okay?" Clementine asked, her soft tone curious, and concerned. I thought for a moment. _Was_ Mark going to be okay? He seemed like he was in the hands of people we could trust, so... why not?

"He got lucky out there," I told her. "It could have been a lot worse."

"Are you going to find the people who hurt Mark?" Clementine asked.

"We have to," I replied. "We don't want them hurting anyone else."

"Just be careful," Clementine mumbled. "I want you to stay lucky, too."

"Ever since I met you, I've had good luck." I chuckled, and pushed a little harder on the swing. She giggled as it went a little higher. "So don't worry."

"Okay." She mumbled.

"What do you think of the dairy?" I asked her, tilting my head to the side in a curious gesture. I noticed Kenny and Duck begin their own conversation, Duck seating himself on a stump only a little ways away from the swing. Duck looked happy, obviously, but Kenny also looked happy. And ever since the end of the world, it seemed a bit hard to get the redneck to be in a good mood.

"It's pretty," Clementine replied. "It reminds me of how things used to look before."

"Yeah, it does." I agreed, smiling.

"Do you think things will go back to the way they were?" Clementine asked, suddenly. I blinked, my smiling faltering.

"Maybe," I replied. Though I wasn't so sure myself. "We have to keep hope, don't we?"

"I guess..."

I gave her another push, and then forced a smile again, even though her back was turned to me. "Don't worry, we're safe here, now." I told her. "Things will be okay."

"As long as the bad people don't get me too, right?" Clementine asked. I held in a chuckle, though it was really, really hard to do so. Clementine was just so damned adorable, she made a very serious thought funny and cute.

"I won't let what happened to Mark happen to you," I spoke at last. "I promise."

I grabbed the ropes of the swing and slowed it to a stop. "Alright, Clem. That's enough for now. I've got stuff to take care of."

"Okay! Thanks, Cry!" Clementine giggled. She slipped out of her seat and gave me a smile, before running off toward Duck. Duck was quick to claim the seat though, and Kenny was where I stood in seconds. I moved out of the way, but before I could make it out of the play-section, Clementine's voice drug me back.

"Cry?" She'd asked.

I turned around, and as I did, my eyes fell upon a small rose in her hands. She had avoided the thorns, but held it up for me. I curiously tilted my head to the side and took hold of the rose, before raising it to my nose and inhaling. I blinked, and looked back to her

"Uh... thanks, Clem...?"

"Just stop to smell the roses, Cry." She said. I blinked, confused. She laughed. "That's what [Your Name] told me. We went into the forest together one time, while Kenny and Lilly were in a fight. We found a rose-bush, and she plunked a rose and handed it to me. She said, 'Just stop to smell the roses. Because even in the worst of times... it's refreshing to the mind to stop and enjoy the little things.'"

I lightly smiled at this, and took a whiff of the rose again, before handing it back to Clementine. She was so adorable – the way she smiled up at me. I lightly laughed and ruffled her hair again.

"Thanks, Clementine." I spoke gently. "I needed that."

Clementine nodded, then turned and ran off back toward the swing. I watched her go, smiling still, before turning and walking away. I left the little play-section, and began to make my way toward the house. The thought of seeing [Your Name] made me excited, now. It'd been far too long. I had to make sure she was okay.

As I reached the top, Danny and Andy were there, talking softly. When they saw me approach, they broke into smiles and welcomed me with positive attitudes. I gave a small smile of my own as I was greeted.

"Ready to go scope out the bandit camp?" Danny asked.

I shook my head. "Actually, I was hoping I could visit [Your Name] before we go. I heard that she was helping Brenda out in the kitchen. I haven't seen her in a while, so I thought I'd say hi."

Danny's smile faded, and suddenly, he had this nervous look about him. I eyed him curiously, but my attention toward him was rather quickly drug away as Andy piped up, his voice a little louder and quicker than usual.

"[Your Name] actually bumped her head on one of the cabinets in the kitchen. There was a little cut in her forehead, but she's okay. She asked us if she could rest in one of our spare bedrooms for a bit. Of 'course, we let her do so. She said she didn't want to be disturbed before she came out... and she meant _everbody_."

"Y-You two can talk when we get back," Danny added. "But right now, we've got more important matters to attend to. Like teaching those sons o' bitches a lesson."

I refused the urge to bite my lip and sighed, and gave a slow nod. I wanted for more than anything to see [Your Name], but if she wanted to be alone while she rested, then that was fine. …That didn't seem like her, though.

_"All right, let's go, Danny."_


	11. Chapter 11

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**The Crazy Woman In The Woods**_

_Your P.O.V._

After listening to Brenda chop off Mark's legs, you weren't really feeling hungry anymore.

That's what she did. She knocked Mark out and drug him into the bathroom after he was out of everyone's site, and then, she cut off his legs. But he'd woken in in the middle of the process and screamed with pain. Brenda had to tape his mouth shut or something, so he wasn't too loud. You'd listened to everything she was doing from the other side of the door.

You were tied up with duct-tape over your mouth in the bedroom, tied to the bed. You hadn't been able to move for the past three and a half hours, and your limbs were getting sore. You wanted more than anything to escape, grab your group, and flee, but you knew you couldn't do anything like that. Not in this situation. You'd thought the St. Johns to be kind, respectable, trusting people... but they were fucked up, hungry _cannibals_. They'd tried to explain the way they thought to you.

Why they "knew" cannibalism was necessary. But you didn't listen. You wouldn't. They soon left you and went to attend to the rest of the group... leaving you struggling to free yourself. But you couldn't. You told yourself... if you were ever to get out of this... you'd start carrying a knife on you. You'd need it. But for now, all you could do was sit and fear for the lives of the rest of your group... especially Cry and Clementine.

They were your family. Clementine was like a daughter to you. and Cry was like a father to Clementine. Now, you feared that their fates would end up like Mark's. You didn't want that.

Your eyes widened as the door to your room slowly opened. You hoped to God it was Brenda, but... your heart dropped to the pit of your stomach as Andy slipped in. He shut the door behind him and locked it, before slowly making his way over to you.

"Y'know, for a girl who says she was originally up north... a Northern Flower... I actually really find you fascinatin', [Your Name]."

You glared.

"You're so beautiful, and you were so kind when I was pullin' up my act. For a moment, I was worried that you belonged to Cry. The way you clung to him as the two of you made your way inside the dairy... or how you stayed close to him when Danny and I arrived at the motor-inn..."

He stepped closer to you, and you watched, with horror, as he began to draw his belt from his pants.

"But you're not Cry's girlfriend, and he's not your boyfriend. Oh, I can tell he likes you." You flushed. "And I can tell you like him, too. But it shouldn't bother him too much that you and I... participate in some activities together."

He slipped the belt completely off, and held it in his hands, his eyes darkening with lust as he continued to make his way over to you. His footsteps were quiet... even though he was wearing heavy farm boots. The fear inside you began to grow more powerful. You cringed as he knelt on the bed, and began to remove his shirt.

"Not that he'll be alive to care, anyway." Andy continued. "After I'm finished having my way with you, I'm gonna wait for him to arrive with Danny. Then, I'll lock 'im up in the meat-locker. And when we're finished with Mark, and he's nothing more than bones, I'll bring Cry into the slaughterin' room..."

Tears began to prick at your eyes. You were upset... majorly upset. You watched as Andy leaned close and smirked.

"And I'll cut him up... while he's conscious. And as I do that, I'll tell him all about the horrible, unforgivable things I did to you in this very bedroom..."

Your eyes widened as he grabbed his belt and raised it in the air, before smirking down at you.

You screamed with pain.

_Cry's P.O.V._

Danny and my footsteps were quiet as we walked through the forest. I held Mark's rifle in my hands (which Doug had given to Lilly, who brought it back with her), my eyes scanning the forest as we walked. We'd been walking for about an hour and hadn't seen anything, but Danny kept insisting that the camp was up ahead. He lagged behind me just a bit, but I made sure I kept my eye on him. Danny creeped me out... I didn't trust him as much as I trusted Andy. I knew that Andy wouldn't do anything stupid. But Danny was questionable.

"See anything?" His soft voice popped up from behind me. I lightly shook my head and continued walking, scanning the area with my eyes again.

"Not yet." I replied in a whisper.

"I know it's around here," Danny mumbled, clutching his gun close to his chest. "It's gotta be close."

Suddenly, my eyes flicked to the ground, toward a dirty object that didn't look like a leaf. I halted in my step, and curiously looked back toward Danny. He looked at the object with interest, as well. I turned back and got onto one knee, before reaching out and poking the object with the end of my gun. It was a soup can... and it looked recently used. I stood, and turned back to Danny, who sent me the same expression that I was probably sending him (not that he could see my expression, anyway).

I walked forward again, but this time, I turned to the right, and followed a little trail I hadn't noticed before. As I got around a large bush that was in the way, my eyes finally lay upon the small camp. There were tables, boxes of stuff, tents, and other things one might find at a camp site.

"Here!" I exclaimed, my voice a whisper. Danny, who had gone the other way, looked over his shoulder curiously, and then joined my side. When he saw the camp, his eyes widened.

"Oh, shit!" His voice was just above a whisper now, but I cold tell he was trying to control it. "You found it?!"

I raised a finger to my lip to hush him, before putting my index and my middle fingers together, and pointing toward the camp. He got the message. We crouched. I made my way to the right side of the trail, him to the left, and we slowly began to approach the camp. There were no voices on the inside, and I couldn't see any people, but that didn't mean that there wasn't anybody there. Danny and I moved forward and made our way behind some trees. I leaned against my tree and aimed my gun toward the camp... but it was deserted.

"You see anybody?" Danny called out, tone quiet.

"No," I mumbled. "But stay on your guard."

Danny nodded, and I watched as he moved in, taking quiet steps as he entered the camp. He looked around and then immediately went over to the tent to check. After a moment, he looked to me and shrugged.

"Ain't no one here, Cry." He confirmed, his voice suddenly growing normal. "But you're right. Don't let your guard down."

I nodded, and moved into the camp, keeping my gun close as we began to explore.

"This camp's too small," Danny pointed out. "It can't be their main base."

"That's what I was thinking." I replied.

"Let's take a look around, anyway." Danny muttered. He turned back to the tent. "There's probably some shit here they stole from us."

I gave a slow nod... and began to examine the tables. There was boxes after boxes of Save Lots stuff. Scattered around the camp were some cans and other things. Some empty shotgun shells, arrows, all that. It wasn't long before I spied a camcorder on the table by the Save Lots boxes and moved over to it. I grabbed it, before trying to open it up and see if there was any footage.

"What'd you find?" Danny asked curiously.

"A video camera." I replied.

"Oh..." There was a pause. Then quick footsteps. "Let me see that."

I curiously looked over my shoulder at Danny, before looking back and attempting to turn it on. Dead.

"Battery's dead, though."

"Oh. Good." Danny mumbled. He looked away. I eyed him again, before slipping the camera into my pocket. He moved to the table beside me and began to look through some stuff, before gasping.

"There's fucking boxes from the dairy here!" He spat. "Those fuckers have crossed the line."

"Damn." I replied. I watched Danny as he went through the boxes... before turning and eyeing the tent. I walked over to it, curiously, and peeked inside. As Danny confirmed, there was no one there. There were two sleeping-bags, one adult-sized, and one kid-sized. I checked each sleeping-bag.. and as I got to the kid one... plucked a purple and white hat from under the pillow.

My eyes widened. It was _Clementine's_ hat!

"Don't you fucking move!"

A voice snapped from behind me. A _female_ voice. I tensed, before spinning around (though she had JUST told me not to move). A woman with messy, curly black hair was in the middle of the camp, watching me with big eyes. In her hands, she held a cross-bow, which was pointed in my direction. She looked confused when she saw me... and I knew it was the mask that threw her off. She processed the thought for a moment, before shaking her head and snarling again.

"Shit!" Danny cursed from the other side of the camp.

"Put your guns down." The woman commanded.

Keeping a tight hold on my gun and Clementine's hat, I moved out into the open, stepping away from the tent. She backed away from me a little, but kept her bow-aim locked on both of us.

"I ain't goin' back!" The woman spat. "You tell 'em Jolene ain't goin' back!"

I noticed Danny raise his gun to her... and I did the same, still keeping a tight hold on the hat. I put my finger over the trigger, but I dare not pull it back. Not yet. Danny said something, but I didn't catch it. The woman scoffed.

"You had a deal with _them_." The woman growled to him. "I ain't _them_." She looked to me, then back to Danny, and smirked. "Oh, I know you!" She snapped. "I know who you are. And I know what you do!"

I blinked, then turned to Danny. He glared darkly at her. What the fuck was going on?!

"You don't know me!" He snapped back.

"Shit!" The woman growled. "Ya'll're stealin' _everything_ from me!"

"Who are you?!" I demanded, raising my gun to her again. I frowned, though she couldn't see it.

Her reply was laughter... which sent chills up my spine. You ask her a question. She laughs maniacally. Greaaaaaat.

I shook my head and sighed. "Look, ma'am, it's not safe up here in the woods..." I tried to reason with her, keeping my tone firm, but gentle. "You've gotta come back to the dairy."

"Ohohoho..." The woman laughed. "It's a hell of a lot safer up here than down there, you best believe." She glared. "Now maybe you boys didn't hear me last time... when I asked you sweet. PUT THE DAMN GUNS DOWN!"

When we did nothing, she snarled again.

"You think I won't kill you?" She asked. "I'm gonna take this hear crossbow," She gestured to her crossbow. "And put a nice sharp arrow right through your eyeball... and into your God-damn brain. You're not men. You're monsters. All men are monsters. They take what they wa-"

"Where did you get this hat?!" I cut her off, holding up the hat for a split second, before holding the gun with two hands again.

"The little girl." The woman replied simply.

"You STOLE it from her!" I snarled. She snarled back, her glare darkening.

"So?!" She asked. "_You_ stole her from me!"

I blinked. "What?!"

She was crazy. Obviously. For a minute, I thought she was implying that she was Clementine's mother, but she looked nothing like Clementine. I then realized that she was just stupid and crazy. That was a nice little anxiety attack for me for about ten seconds.

"What the Hell are you talking about?!" I asked.

"You know what?" The woman laughed. "I change my mind. I'm puttin' this arrow right through your _balls_! Yeah. Right through. And I'll string 'em up on that tree!" She gestured to a tree behind her. I felt myself shiver. ...I didn't like that image in my head.

"ENOUGH!" I snarled. I almost wanted to shoot her... but I held back. She ignored me, and turned to Danny.

"Tell him, boy!" She snapped to him. "Tell him who you really are! Tell him what you have in mind for-"

She was interrupted by the bullet that went through her brain. My eyes widened... and I lowered my gun. The shot didn't come from me. I watched, with a dropped jaw, as Danny approached the now dead crazy woman and lightly kicked her arm.

"God damn it." Danny muttered.

"You straight up MURDERED that woman!" I gasped. He looked to me.

"Hardly." He grumbled. "She had a crossbow pointed at my forehead."

I eyed the woman... and then sighed as I watched blood began to seep out of her wound. She had a look of rage and terror on her face. Her face was beginning to grow pale.

"It was a clean shot, though!" Danny almost snickered, and then kicked the woman again. "Right through the forehead. Now, that's good shootin' right there!" He turned to me and enthusiastically smiled. "Still... what a waste."

A small amount of fear was beginning to rise up inside me. Jesus Christ, what was wrong with this guy? He made his way toward me, and I tensed, but then relaxed as he only brushed past, and began to walk down the trail we came from. I followed after.

"So, that's it?" I asked. "We goin' back?"

"If they ain't here, then I don't know where they are." Danny admitted. I caught up to his side. "And frankly, I think it's a bad idea to go tromping through the forest lookin' for 'em. So yeah, we head back."

He looked over his shoulder, to the corpse, and then back to me.

"Once they see her, they'll get the message."

The sun was setting when we got back. The sky was growing darker and darker, and the air was getting colder. We approached the gate, and as Danny opened it, we both slipped through. He shut the gate behind us. I looked around, my eyes scanning for any familiar faces. I was hoping to see [Your Name], but I was greeted by an excited Clementine instead. ...Not that I minded. However, before I could say anything to her, a sudden, loud voice snarled.

"Then screw it up for everybody, why don't you?!"

My head snapped to the left, and I watched as Lilly jabbed Kenny in the chest with her finger. Both looked extremely angry. I frowned. Could they not fight for two damned seconds?!

"Oh calm down, 'Princess', I'll do it myself!" Kenny growled. He walked away, leaving Lilly standing there, incredibly pissed. Lilly darkly glared at Kenny as he went, pure hate rising inside of her.

Suddenly, a little girl was at my side and pulling at the bottom of my shirt. "Come with me to the barn!" Clementine giggled. I looked back down to her, and smiled as she took my hand. I slowly nodded.

"Okay, just for a little while, though." I mumbled. "Have you seen [Your Name] recently?"

Clementine shook her head. "Not in a while." She replied. "Come on, Cry!"

OoOoOoOoO

I watched Katjaa as she tended to the pregnant cow. Word has it that the animal could be giving birth tonight. That made me a little happy. I liked animals... and I really liked cows. I had given her a soft pet at Clementine's request. Duck looked interested in it, but not as interested as he looked with the hay laying on the ground. I thought Duck was a little silly... but that was just downright strange.

My eyes flicked to Clementine. She seemed so content. I liked the idea of her living at a place like this. If we played our cards right, we could stay here... permanently.

My mind suddenly went to the hat. I pulled it from the inside of my jacket, and handed it to her.

"Clementine, I found your hat, by the way."

Clementine gasped, a wide smile spreading across her lips. She snatched the hat from my hand and put it on.

"My hat!" She cried. "You found it! I knew you'd find it! You said you would! Thank you, Cry! Thank you!"

I smiled... but then lessened it. "Clem... did you give your hat to anyone?"

She stopped smiling, and looked confused. "No," She replied.

I hummed. "Did you see any strangers around the motor-inn who could have taken it?"

"No," She repeated, only looking more confused. "Why?"

"It's probably nothing, kiddo." I reached forward and pat her head, widening my smile again. "Just let me know if you ever see anything like that again. Okay, Clem?"

"Okay, I will." Clementine agreed. Then, she paused, and looked up to me with those adorable golden eye. "Hey Cry? Do you think you'll ever have kids?

I blinked. "I uh... I... wha... uh..." I scratched the back of my neck and huffed. "...Maybe someday?" I replied. "Maybe a little girl, like you."

"That's nice." Clementine smiled. "You'd be a good daddy."

I smiled back. Cuteness! Sooo adorable!

"Well, thanks for finding my hat!" She continued.

"You're welcome, Clem." I replied. She smiled again and nodded, before turning and sitting with the cow again, I watched her for a few moments... before I heard another tone call my name. I turned, and found Kenny toward the back of the barn, staring. I blinked and watched as he gestured for me to come over. I left Clementine's side and made my way to the man.

Kenny gestured to the door behind him, before turning to look at it. I took my place beside him. He gestured to the lock.

"I found this, earlier." Kenny informed, his voice soft. "Cry, they're hiding something. Behind this door. I got a quick look. They've got boxes of stuff, and... something metal and sharp."

"Don't get paranoid." I told him.

"It's my JOB to be paranoid, Cry!" Kenny whispered. "I've got my whole family on this land right now! What about you? How about Clem, or [Your Name]?"

I thought about it for a moment... before sighing. "I'll protect them, no matter what."

"I know you will." Kenny nodded. The two of us turned around, and I watched as he gestured to Andy. "Look. That dude with Katjaa... what's-his-name... He locked it up _real tight_ the second we came in. I'm positive I heard a noise back there, Cry.

"What do you think it was?" I asked.

Kenny shook his head. "My point is, we've gotta know for sure. So go find a hammer or something, and I'll have this thing opened in a second. And then have my back if the farmers come runnin'."

"Hang on, man. Just think this through." I whispered. "You smash the lock. Then what if you're wrong? You just fucked a good meal you're trying to get into those kids you're trying to protect. Use your head, Kenny!"

"Alright, Mr. Masked Man," Kenny almost sneered. "What do you have in mind?"

"Let me have a look at what we're dealin' with first." I told him. I turned to the lock and began to examine it, looking over the screws and bolts and the... thin circle lock thingie that slids through the clip.

"Look, Kenny." I gestured to the lock. "This thing has screws. We can just take it off, have a peek inside, and then put it back together again, no problem! No smashing or anything."

"All right, sounds like you have a plan." Kenny mumbled. "We need to distract Andy. Listen, I'll go outside and fuck with the generator. When he leaves the barn, be as quick as you can. Okay?"

I nodded. "Sure, Kenny."

"Oh, and here. Take this." Kenny reached into his pocket and pulled out a multitool before handing it to me. I eyed the multitool curiously, before nodding.

"Thanks."

Kenny nodded, turned, and head out of the barn. I waited a couple moments, acting like I was looking curiously inside the stalls and stuff... until suddenly, the lights went out. Andy grumbled and left the barn. I acted quickly. Grabbing the multi-tool, I began to screw off each screw. I knew this would get me in trouble, but Kenny wanted to know about what was inside... and honestly, I did too. Boxes of stuff? Metal and sharp? What, was there blood in there, too?

Suddenly, there was a ringing sound. I turned around, and watched Clementine and Duck's faces light up.

"Dinner!" Duck laughed. "It's dinner time! It's dinner time!"

The kids sprinted out of the room, Katjaa following close behind. This left just me. I took my opportunity and worked on the door again. I knew Kenny wasn't coming back, and I knew I could trust him to make an excuse for what happened to me.

Soon, the door was unlocked I opened it, and...

A blood bath. Blood covered everything. There were sharp items everywhere. A bathtub-looking thing sat in the corner with a giant metal saw in the middle. Everything looked absolutely terrible. It was like a horror movie.

"Boy, didn't you hear the bell?"

I tensed as I heard the voice. Slowly, I turned around, shoving the multitool into my pocket. Andy sat there, lightly smiling at me, put looking just a little irritated at the same time. He looked me up and down, before sighing.

_"Dinner time."_


	12. Chapter 12

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**Dirty Little Secret**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

"What the hell is this?!"

I gestured behind me, toward the bloody room that looked very recently-used. Rage was swelling up inside me. I don't know why. But between being angry, worried, suspicious, and a little scared, I was not about to sit down to dinner with three creeps. What the hell had they cut up recently?!

Andy's voice was casual and calm as he spoke. "Look, we have plenty of food here at the dairy, but Danny and I still have plenty of huntin' to do to keep everyone fed. When we catch something in the woods, we skin it and dress it back there." He gestured behind me. "Momma doesn't like us to make a mess in the house," He continued. "So you see? Nothin' to worry about!"

I squinted suspiciously (which he couldn't see behind my mask), and after several moments of silent thinking, I finally, wordlessly, made my way past him, and toward the house. My stomach growled. By now, [Your Name] _had_ to have been up and going. I needed to see her. She was the only one who could calm me down right now. I just needed to see her and hold her... and make sure she and Clementine were happy.

...Christ, I really am in love with her, aren't I?

Andy and I silently made our way back to the house. It was dark outside now, the last of the sun setting. The inside of the house was lit up, felt warm, and smelled delicious. As Andy shut the door behind us, I made my way into the kitchen to see everyone seated and ready to eat. Brenda was setting out delicious dishes of food (including a huge plate of delicious-looking meat) out on the table. When Clementine saw me, she smiled, and gestured for me to come over. I took my gaze away from her and looked around the table... but [Your Name] was no where to be seen. Or Mark.

"Where's [Your Name]?" I asked. Brenda looked up to me and smiled. "Oh, honey. Mark and [Your Name] aren't feelin' too well. They've decided to take the night to rest. I brought their dinner up to them already. Come on honey, sit down and eat."

"Yeah, pansy, quit worrying about your damned girlfriend and eat! Quit being rude!" Larry snapped. I ignored the old man completely and turned to Brenda.

"May I wash my hands before dinner?" I asked. Brenda nodded, and smiled.

"Sure! Bathroom is down the hall, and to your left. And make sure to get under your nails, hon. You've been muckin' around in the dirt all day."

I slowly nodded, and slowly began to back away. "Will do, ma'am..." I replied. As I left the room, I made my way across the hall... but didn't go into the bathroom. Instead, as quietly as I could, I began to make my way upstairs, to the second story of the house. One of the boards creaked under my foot, and I cringed, but luckily, it didn't bring attention. I continued on, and when I reached the top, I tried to open one of the bedroom doors.

Locked.

I would NOT stand for this shit.

Pulling a bobby-pin from my pocket, I slid it into the lock, and began to wiggle it around. It wasn't long before the door clicked, and the lock was unlocked. I victoriously grinned. I loved being able to pick locks easily. Putting the lock into my pocket, I put my hand on the handle, and slowly opened the door.

_Your P.O.V._

Sore. You were sore all over. Your arms, your legs, your chest, your head, your back, your... lower areas that were supposed to be restricted... everything was hurting, and sore. Your hair was messy, your clothes were torn... there were tear stains under your cheeks, and black circles under your eyes. You didn't know how long you were out. Andy had spent at least two hours with you, and when he was finished, he just left you in the state you were in... beaten, and pretty much naked. Your pants and underwear had been pushed down to your ankles. Your bra was discarded somewhere else in the room, and your shirt was hitched up under your neck. After he left you, you were too beaten, upset, and tired to stay awake. You'd drifted into a restless sleep, crying until there was no more tears left to cry. You thought you were screwed. You thought that Andy's promises of feeding Mark to everyone and then cutting up Cry would actually come true. But as you felt a firm yet gentle grip on your arms, shaking you awake, you opened your eyes, and revealed a face staring into yours.

At first, you didn't recognize it. You'd never seen this person before. Shaggy brown hair matched the beautiful dark blue eyes against the white skin. It was a man. A slender-shaped man. His face showed concern and sorrow. He called out to you, but you couldn't concentrate. You hurt too much. Then... finally, his soft, smooth, yet concerned tone slipped into your ears.

"[Your Name]... speak to me... please! Please, talk to me! [Your Name]!"

Your brain slowly began to register exactly who this person was.

"C-...Cry..."

You couldn't speak. Your throat was too sore. You only looked to him with a weak expression as he pulled you against him and cradled you tightly. He whispered apologetic sentences over and over in your ear, but now, you couldn't register again. Everything was going dark... he called your name, and shook you, but you were responseless. Your eyes fell closed, and you fell unconscious.

_Cry's P.O.V._

I was going to kill that son of a bitch.

I put my mask back on after several failed attempts to get [Your Name] to wake up again. I didn't know where her bra was, but when I tried putting on her shirt... I found it completely torn. It only slipped from her body, now divided into two pieces. I cursed... and finally decided to use my jacket. I took it off and instead slipped it on her, zipping up the front so no one could see her chest. I then moved to her legs and pulled her underwear and pants back over her... luckily, the tearing on those pieces of clothing was minimal. Then, I found a way into the bathroom...

only to find Mark's bloody, legless body in the tub. I gave a horrified gaze as I stared down at him, at the literal blood bath that he was taking. He'd looked up to me with a sorry, weak expression, though he couldn't speak much. The only things he said was...

_Don't eat dinner._

My eyes widened as I realized just exactly what the fuck was going on. Then, I sprinted. I'd grabbed [Your Name] and pulled her into my arms bridal-style and rushed down the stairs. There was laughing and even singing going on in the dining-room area. But when I burst in, I must have scared the crap out of everyone with [Your Name] in my arms. My eyes scanned the room, and then landed on Clementine, who was about to stick a piece of meat in her mouth. My eyes widened.

"DON'T EAT THAT!" I screamed. She looked up to me with confusion and fear, and quickly put the fork on her plate. Everyone looked to me with confusion, and... irritation. Andy, Brenda, and Danny looked nervous.

"Cry, Jesus Man, what's wrong with [Your Name]?!" Kenny asked, eyes wide

"Damn it, Cry! Put your messy girlfriend back to bed, sit the fuck down, and enjoy your meal!" Larry snapped.

"Yeah, Cry!" Lilly growled. "What's your problem?!"

"MARK IS UPSTAIRS WITH HIS FUCKING _LEGS _CUT OFF!" I screamed. "You're EATINGhim!"

Clementine's eyes widened at the screaming, but then her jaw dropped, and she looked toward her plate. I held [Your Name] tighter in my arms.

"What the Hell?!" Asked Kenny.

"That's crazy!" Exclaimed Lilly

"Now, now..." Started Brenda.

"You're scaring the kids, Cry..." Kenny mumbled. The kids had terrified looks on their faces. I frowned, even though they couldn't see through my mask. My hands were shaking.

"Cry!" Lilly glared. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"Don't indulge him, Lilly." Larry grumbled. "It's _always_ something with this guy."

I snarled. I wasn't in the mood for Larry's shit. "Shut up, asshole!" I spat. I turned to the rest of the group. I watched as Katjaa grabbed the plates from the children. "Go upstairs and LOOK." I continued. "You'll find a guy upstairs with BOTH OF HIS LEGS HACKED OFF! This is a dairy, not a ranch! Think about it!"

There was silence. From everyone. And then, Brenda sighed.

"It's true."

Everyone's eyes grew wide, and people began to talk at once. People pushed their plates away, and Larry looked like he was going to puke.

"Everything could'a turned out okay for you folks..." Danny mumbled, continuing to look down at his plate. He took another bite.

"He would'a died anyway!" Andy snapped. "We gotta think about livin'!"

I turned to him, glaring darkly. "And YOU." I growled. I gestured to the sleeping, innocent, soiled princess in my arms. "What the FUCK did you do to [Your Name]?!"

Andy lightly smirked up at me, and crossed his arms. "Let's just say, today has been one of the best days of my life." He snickered. I fumed.

"You son of a BITCH!" I snarled.

"Growing up in rural Georgia, we're taught not to waste." Brenda sighed, getting to the point. "It was how I was raised, and how I raised my boys. And now look. What do people do these days? They wander around and EAT PEOPLE. Why's it so wrong for us to do the same? It's for the best! It's necessary!"

"You're all sick!" I growled, holding [Your Name] close to me. "Sick in the head!"

"Cry!" Brenda gasped. "That's not a very nice thing to imply. Anyway, Andy's right. We go after folks who were gonna die anyway, one way or another."

Danny took yet another bite of his food, before sending his creepy gaze up toward the members of the table.

"Like ya'll." He grumbled.

I growled, then turned to Clementine. "Clementine! Run!"

Clementine nodded and quickly moved to get out of her seat, but stopped as Andy pulled his gun from his pocket. Danny pulled out his rifle.

"Nobody's goin' anywhere!" Andy snarled. People began to stand, but were only pointed at with guns. Slowly... they began to sit again.

"We got lots of use for ya'll right here," Danny almost cackled as he spoke. I tensed in my spot, and held [Your Name] even closer. She was still unconscious.

Everyone began to talk all at once, screaming over each other. I couldn't take it, and I yelled,

"Somebody, do something!"

Clementine began to cry. I looked to her again, and she gave me a helpless stare.

"C-Cry... Cry..." She cried out.

I watched with wide eyes as Andy suddenly lunged forward and snatched Clementine by the hair, pulling her backward. Clementine screamed with fear and pain. Rage built up inside me. Though I had [Your Name] in my arms, I began to take quick steps forward.

"I'LL KILL YOU-"

I couldn't finish, and froze in my step as Danny stuck the gun between my jaw and my throat, threatening to shoot if I moved. I went still, but looked to Clementine with an _I'm-So-Sorry_ look. She looked back with the same expression.

Suddenly, there was thumping... and a tumbling sound. Everyone froze. I spun around, and Danny didn't shoot. We all watched the door-way to the kitchen. There was a dragging sound... and... as the source was revealed... some screamed, and everyone spoke at the same time.

"Pleaaaaaassseeeeee..."

The legless body of Mark drug himself toward the doorway, a trail of blood following behind him.

"Someone, helllllppp... please..."

I spun back around. Clementine was shaking her head at me. I lunged forward.

"CLEMENTI-ugh!"

_I fell to the ground, going unconscious. [Your Name] tumbled away from my arms._


	13. Chapter 13

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**Nothern Flowers**_

_Your P.O.V._

"Open the GOD DAMNED door! You can't keep us in here! Open up! I will tear you fuckers apart, with my bare hands!"

"Will you stop with the banging?! We gotta find another way out of here!"

"You sick fucking bastards! Open this door! God dammit! I will knock the God-damned door down!"

"Dad, stop!"

The screaming continued. They tried to tell him to stop, but Larry wouldn't listen. He just continued to scream and bang on the door, while Kenny paced, Clementine cowered, and Lilly puked. However... you weren't paying attention to all that. You weren't even paying attention to your sore bones, who were screaming for a massage. You were focused on the the person you were cradling in your lap.

He was still masked, some brown hair falling over the white. He wore only a white T-shirt over his chest now, having been given you the green hoodie. The hood had been pulled over your head to protect you hair from being grabbed or anything. You gently stroked the man's hair as you thought about him... how he found you... how he saved you. How even though you guys were trapped, he was the one that brought everyone together. ...Brought _you two_ together.

By the way his mouth was moving... licking his lips and parting for air, you could tell he was waking. It wasn't long before his sweet and smooth, yet tired voice softly called up to you.

"[Y-... Your Name]?"

You weakly smiled at him, and leaned down, placing a kiss on the top of his head. You then pulled away and sighed. "I'm here, Cry..."

Cry's lips weakly turned upward into his own smile, and you watched his bare arms reach up and pull you into an awkward-looking hug. The two of you lasted the embrace for several moments longer than normal... before pulling away. Cry lifted his back off of your lap and sat up, before turning to you, and gently running his hand down your cheek. His smile vanished.

"They told me you'd hit your head, and that you wanted to rest." He explained. "I believed them. God-damn it, [Your Name], I believed them... and then Andy did those things to you... I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault, Cry..." You reassured. "You didn't know they were bad people."

"They tried to feed Mark to us..." Cry continued. "I stopped Clementine, but..."

"But the rest of us did, God damn it!" Larry suddenly snapped, spinning around. You and Cry looked up to meet his angry gaze. He moved to the middle of the room. "I-If you hadn't dragged your feet!"

"Come on, Dad..." Lilly sighed, trying to keep her voice gentle. "Now's not the time."

"You okay, Clementine?" Cry spoke again, to the cowering girl in the corner. Clementine made her way toward Cry and knelt down, so they were face to face. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair, stroking her back gently. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" He whispered.

Clementine shook her head, and Cry gave a sigh of relief.

"I don't know what I'd do if they hurt my little girl..." He mumbled.

You felt your heart pound. That was adorable, despite the circumstances. Cry looked to you and opened his arm, and you moved forward. He pulled you into the hug, and the three of you sat there for a moment like that. Cry sighed.

"I'm so glad the two of you are okay. You're like my family. I'm so sorry they..."

"Shh..." You whispered. "It's okay. The goal now is to get out of here, and get back to the motor-inn, where Doug, Felix, and Ben are staying."

Cry pulled away, and nodded. "Then that's the plan." He said. He looked to you. "[Your Name], I need you to watch Clementine until we're out of this room. Then we'll see what happens." He paused. "I know you don't like not helping, but believe me, you're doing a _lot of help_. You're one of the only people I trust at the moment who can take care of Clem."

"No, I understand." You told Cry. You placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "Go."

Cry gave a grateful smile and took your hand, gently placing a kiss on the knuckle, before standing and leaving your side. You pulled Clementine to your side and kept her there while you watched the people standing to their work.

"Open up!" Larry screamed. "NOW!"

"Cry!" Kenny gasped, walking up to Cry. "Those psychos have my family!"

"I know," Cry replied. "And we'll make sure they're safe."

"Well, we're stuck in a damned meat locker!" Kenny snarled. "We gotta get the fuck out of here!"

"I _know_, sir!" Cry snapped. "I'm fully aware! We'll get out! I promise."

Larry turned and marched up to Cry. "This thumbsucker was the one who brought us here!" He snarled. You imagined Cry glaring behind his mask.

"Will you just shut the fuck up?!" Kenny snapped at Larry.

"I'm scared..." Clementine whispered beside you. You nodded and pulled her into a hug. She slipped into your lap, so you held her there, gently stroking her hair.

"I know." You replied gently. "I know, sweetie. But we're gonna get out of here. Cry's gonna save us."

"You're... you're worst than the walkers!" Larry snarled.

"Dad, please!" Lilly begged. "Please, settle down!"

"I'll rip their God-damned heads off!" Larry continued.

"They have Katjaa and Duck, Cry!" Kenny repeated. "Those fuckers have my family!"

"I know!" Cry said for the third time. "But we're gonna get out of here and find them!"

"Come on, show yourselves!" Larry snarled. "Fucking cowards!"

"DAD!"

"Your Dad's not making things any easier for us!" Cry lightly growled to Lilly. Lilly stole a glance in his direction, and sighed.

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOOOOR!"

"DAD, STOP!"

"THERE'S MORE OF US ON THE WAY," Larry growled. "LET US OUT NOW, IF YOU WANNA LIVE!"

"That is NOT gonna help!" Lilly growled.

You watched Cry slowly approach Larry.

"Larry, man," He started. "Do you really want to attract their attention?" He crossed his arms.

"Yeah," Larry started. "I wanna attract their attention..." He looked over his shoulder at Cry, before looking back to the door. "SO I CAN FUCKING KILL THEM!"

Cry hummed. "I guess your new girlfriend wasn't all she was cracked up to be." He mumbled.

Larry stopped, and then turned around, sending a deadly glare in Cry's direction. You tensed. Oh, shit. This wasn't going to end well for someone.

"What the hell is your problem?" Larry asked. "You refused to give me my day's rations back at the motor-lodge..." He took a step closer to Cry. Cry backed away, but Larry took another step. "And you went out of your way to be an asshole to me tonight." He paused, then shook his head, and sneered, "You must really hate me. Well guess what? I'm sticking around. I plan to be here long after you're gone." Larry leaned in, his face only inches away from Cry's mask. He glared. Cry's balled fists began shaking, knuckles turning white... anger. "If you turn, I'll be the one to put an axe in your skull."

"No..." Cry leaned even closer to Larry's face. "You're not worth the energy to hate."

"Yeah?" Larry asked. "Don't forget. I know who you _really _are."

You watched with wide eyes as Larry turned and began to pound on the door again. Cry stood there for a moment. You didn't know what to think. Larry knew who Cry was? Why was that such a big deal?

Cry looked over to you... before shaking his head, and sighing. He turned to walk into a different direction, but then stopped. He spun around to face Larry, and watch, as the old man yelled out something to the St Johns, before screaming, grabbing his heart, and falling over. Everyone's eyes widened. Kenny stopped pacing. Lilly screamed.

"DAD!"

She dove to his side.

"Dad, no! Dad... come on! Dad!"

Your eyes widened. You gently pushed Clementine off of yourself and turned toward her. You told her to stay there, before standing and moving next to Larry's other side. You took his hand into yours and felt for his pulse. Nothing. You looked up to Lilly.

"No pulse!" You gasped out. She looked to you, eyes wide, before taking her hands and pumping them on Larry's chest.

"He's not breathing!" She informed. "I think he had a heart attack!"

"Shiiiiiit." Kenny gasped. "Is he dead?!"

"He's not dead!" Lilly cried out. "Somebody, help me!"

You were at Lilly's side in a moment. As much as it disgusted you... you did it. Plugging Larry's nose, you placed your lips over his and blew air into his mouth. Lilly gave a grateful mumble toward you and kept pumping down on his heart. You blew again.

"Fuck... if he's dead..." Kenny started again.

"HE'S. NOT. DEAD." Lilly growled.

You blew again.

"You know what has to happen, Cry..." Kenny whispered. The two of them exchanged glances. You pulled away from Larry and looked up to Cry, giving him a _Please-Don't-Make-Me-Stop_ look. He stared sorrowfully at you and shook his head. Your heart dropped. You knew they were right. It had to end. You looked to Lilly.

"Lilly..."

She didn't stop pumping, but looked up to you. Tears were running down her cheeks. You shook your head.

"It needs to be done..." You whispered.

Her eyes widened. "No..."

Without warning, you seized her by the arms and pulled her away. You knew you had to hold her. She struggled against you, screaming and kicking, begging you to stop and let her go. You looked to Cry, giving him a helpless look. He was with you in a second, holding Lilly back. She continued to loudly scream. The three of you (not including Clementine, who was faced away in the corner) watched as Kenny approached Larry with a large salt-lick. It was over in seconds. All that remained of Larry's head was a pool of blood, and crushed bones, eyes, skin, and brains.

You let go of Lilly, and she slipped away, going to her father's side. She screamed one last time, before burying her face in her father's shirt and sobbing. You looked to Cry. Cry looked to you. You couldn't see his face, but you knew the two of you were sharing the same expression.

"God help us..." Kenny whispered.

You moved over to the other side of Larry and knelt down. You reached out to touch Lilly's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I know it-"

You gasped as she grabbed your wrist and shoved it backward. She looked up to you with an angry, _angry_ glare.

"Don't you fucking touch me, you bitch." She snarled.

You backed off... standing and walking away. She went back to mourning for her Dad. In the corner, Clementine uncontrollably sobbed. You quickly walked over to her and pulled her into your arms. She sobbed into your shoulder, before pulling away and looking to you with a sorrow-filled gaze.

"Why, [Your Name]?" Clementine asked. "Lilly said he wasn't dead."

You shook your head and sighed. "He _was_ dead, Clementine. I promise."

She cried again. You pulled her into your arms before pulling away again.

"Shh... I know, I know. But you gotta be strong right now, Clem. You have to be strong for the group." She opened her eyes and looked to you. You lightly forced a smile. "Think about something else."

"L-Like what?" Clementine choked out. You thought for a moment.

"Roses..." You whispered. "Remember what I told you?"

Clementine nodded.

You forced a soft smile. "And I know roses doesn't seem like a lot right now, but-"

"N-No..." Clementine interrupted. "That was a happy moment for me... In the forest." She lightly smiled. "Thank you for that, [Your Name]..."

You smiled back, and gave her one last hug, before turning to Cry. He had been right behind you. He stared down at you, and you could sense his curiosity. You got to your feet and turned to him, your smile fading.

"You okay?" You asked.

He thought for a couple moments... and then shrugged. "I'd just like to get out of here." He admitted.

You nodded... then gently reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder again. You looked into his eyes (or tried to... his mask was kind of in the way) and sighed.

"We'll make it out of this, Cry..." You whispered. "I-"

"Hey, what about the air-vent?!" Cry's head perked as he interrupted you. You blinked, but you weren't offended. The both of you turned to look up at the air-vent. There was a hole... big enough for someone small to fit through. If someone could go through the vent and get on the other side... could they unlock the meat locker door?!

"Genius, Cry!" You gasped, a smile breaking across your lips. "Fucking genius!"

"Alright, Cry!" Kenny laughed. You watched as the two men approached the vent. Kenny threw his hands into the air with enthusiasm. "Let's get this damned thing open!"

Cry leaned back a little as he checked under the vent... reaching up and fingering something. He then tensed, and quickly checked his pockets. Then he grumbled.

"Son of a bitch."

"What's wrong?" You asked. He turned to look to you, then to Kenny, who was also curious as to what the matter was _this_ time.

"They took the multi-tool I had on me." Cry explained. "Unless there's something skinny and small in this room, we can't open the vent. It requires unscrewing these little screws here." He gestured toward the screws underneath the vent-box thing. You heart sunk a little again.

"Oh... I have an idea..." Kenny mumbled. Cry rose an eyebrow in question. Kenny leaned in and whispered something... and if you were able to see behind his mask... you would have seen his face fall. The two of them glanced toward Lilly, and Larry's dead body.

"It's our only chance, Cry." Kenny said softly, but loud enough for you to hear. "You gotta ask her."

"Me?!" Cry asked. "Why me?!"

"Because she hates me right now! You're probably the only one in this room who she minds least! I mean, hell, you saw how she acted with [Your Name] about a minute ago!"

Cry shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other... before finally nodding, and sighing.

"Fine." He replied. You watched as he slowly made his way toward Lilly, and then crouched down beside her. She was faced toward her Dad, and didn't look up, move, or say anything as Cry put his hand on her back.

"I'm sorry, Lilly..." He started.

"Don't fucking talk to me, Cry." Lilly whispered. "Don't fucking talk to me."

"You've got to pull yourself together, Lilly." Cry mumbled again.

"W-Why?!" Lilly growled, voice raising. "So you can feel better about what you... what you... did?!"

"For your _own_ sake!" Cry retorted.

"Right," Lilly scoffed. "Because you care _so fucking much_ about me."

"I think I may have found a way out of here." Cry started again. "But I need something small and skinny to remove the screws on the air conditioner. If..." He paused. "If you had something I could use as a screw-driver... a-a coin or something..."

"NO."

Cry huffed. "Well..." He slowly gestured to Larry. Lilly looked pissed. You bit your lip in nervousness. "What about... _him_?" Lilly didn't respond. Cry continued. "Look, I know this is a terrible time for it, but back at the motor-inn, Larry mentioned something about keeping coins in his pockets..."

"In other words..." Lilly sneered. "My father is more useful to you _dead_ than _alive_."

"If he was alive," Cry argued. "And he had the key to getting us out of here, do you think he'd keep it all to himself?"

"What do you want?" Lilly whispered. She suddenly raised her voice. "My BLESSING to LOOT HIS CORPSE?!"  
Cry was quiet for a moment. Then, he slowly took a breath, and exhaled deeply.

"Your permission."

Behind him, Kenny was pacing back and fourth, looking to Cry and Lilly as they spoke. Clementine huddled close to you, and you kept your arm around her as you watched the scene play out. Lilly looked incredibly pissed... but at the same time, she was considering Cry's proposal. Finally, she shut her eyes and looked away.

"Do what you have to do."

Cry was quick, now. He invaded Larry's personal pockets as he looked for the coins. You watched him as he first pulled out something small, and shiny. You weren't sure what it was, but... you noticed that Cry made sure Lilly wasn't looking, before he slipped it into his own pocket. You blinked. Kenny saw it too, but said nothing. Cry continued to work, and eventually found the sixty-cents... two quarters and a dime. He turned to Lilly.

"Thank you." He mumbled.

"Fucking vulture." Lilly grumbled.

You began to feel excited as Cry stood and walked away, now undoing the screws on the vent. Freedom was soon to come. Eventually, the door of the vent came off. He tossed it to the ground, before looking to everyone else.

"Okay, it's opened." He said.

Kenny approached and looked up. He smiled. "Looks like it'll probably lead into that back room."

"But it's too small for us to fit through." Cry added.

"I can do it." Clementine suddenly piped up from your side. You looked down to her and blinked, watching as she approached Kenny and Cry. You followed after, sticking close to her. She looked frightened, but... determined at the same time. Cry walked to her and crouched. You almost crouched yourself, but decided not to. You just kept your hand on her shoulder.

"You know you don't have to do this, right, Clem?" Cry asked. Clementine gave a nod.

"I know." Clementine spoke softly. "I just wanna go home."

"This'll help us get back home." Kenny promised. Cry stood from where he crouched, and looked to you. You flashed him a look and shrugged.

"If she wants to do it..."

Cry slowly nodded, and turned back to Clementine. Taking her hand, the two approached the vent. Clementine took a deep breath, and then nodded, announcing she was ready. Cry grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up. Clementine easily slid into the vent, and in moments, she was gone. Everyone watched the vent with interest... waiting. Waiting. Suddenly, there was a thump... and then a gasp. Your eyes widened.

"Clementine?!" You called out.

It was silent. No reply. You gave Cry a desperate look, and Cry looked back, but you couldn't detect his expression behind his mask. Your heart began to sink further. Had you just lost Clementine?!

Suddenly, the door to the locker opened, and Clementine's darling figure stood in the entry way. She looked worried, and frightened. You quickly ran to her and pulled her into a hug, relieved that she was safe. You then pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"Are you okay? Did anyone see you?"

She shook her head, and whispered, "I'm fine, but there's a man outside..."

Kenny was at your side, leaning out the door. You looked over your shoulder at Cry, who had approached Lilly.

"Lilly, we gotta go..." He whispered.

"Leave me alone." Lilly softly growled.

"Cry! I can see him!" Kenny cried out in a hushed tone. You stood and pulled Clementine close to you, before looking to Cry.

"It's not safe-"

"For God's sake, Cry!" Lilly interrupted. "I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"

"Cry, get in here! I have an idea!"

Kenny had moved into the other room and spoke. You looked back to Cry and Lilly, before looking down to Clementine. You bent down to kiss her hair, and then whispered,

"I need you to stay with Lilly, okay honey? Take real good care of her, and leave when she's ready to go."

Clementine nodded. I continued.

"STAY with her. Don't go near Andy, Danny, or Brenda."

"Okay." Clementine repeated her understandment. You nodded.

You looked up to Cry, who had joined your side. He nodded at you, before taking your wrist and leading you into the other room. Your thoughts left Clementine as the two of you walked, and focused on rounding the rest of the group together, and escaping to the motor-inn. You needed to find Katjaa and Duck, and make sure they were okay. Then, you'd grab Lilly and Clem, and the eight of you would run off.

As you guys left a room that came after the meat-locker, you walked into the human slaughter house. Kenny had been telling you about it when you guys were in the meat-locker. It was just how he described it... bones, blood and all. Kenny was crouched down, and at that, the two of you crouched, too. He was hiding behind a counter next to the wall farthest from you, peering out the door way. You only assumed Andy or Danny was on the other side.

"So what's the plan?" Cry whispered. You looked around, and noticed a sharp object on the table to your left. You reached up to grab it... slipping the wooden handle into your hand. The blade connected to the handle was long and curved... and you instantly recognized it as a sicle. You lightly smirked at your find and hooked the weapon around your belt, before looking back to the men.

"The dumbass is so caught up in his own rant, we can sneak up on him!" Kenny spoke in a hushed tone. "Just stick close to me, and when we get to the front, grab his gun."

"Sounds good." Cry nodded. He turned to you. "Okay with you?" He asked.

You nodded, the smirk you had before fading. "Yep." You whispered. Cry nodded and turned back to Kenny. "Let's go."

Kenny took in a breath, and slowly creaked open the barn door again. He slipped through, then Cry, then you in the behind. The three of you kept a quick pace. You were walking quietly, and it wouldn't be long before you reached Danny. But right before you could, Andy's shadowed figure suddenly came into view. Kenny gasped and dove into a stall to your right. Cry snatched your hand and pulled you in as well. The three of you hid and listened.

"Hey," Andy mumbled. "What are you doing outside the barn?"

"Just guarding the place, like you said." Danny replied casually.

"Well, quit standing out in the rain like a weirdo, man." Andy sighed. "Momma says we can't keep many of the folks alive that are in trouble. We pick one, and kill the rest."

You tensed. Cry slipped an arm around you and held you close, comforting you.

"Can I pick which one to keep alive?" Danny asked.

"Not the little girl. There ain't enough meat on her bones."

"What about the woman? The pretty Northern gal that's always hanging around the kid with the mask? We gonna keep her alive? Ya'll had your fun with her, and I didn't even get a turn."

"Of 'course we're keeping the Nothern flower alive, dumbass." Andy's voice snapped. "She's way too fun in bed to kill. Ya'll should'a heard the noises she made while I had my way with her."

It was Cry's turn to tense. You turned to him, and saw him grit his teeth together. Kenny didn't seem very pleased, either. You awkwardly sighed and looked toward your feet then, trying to block out the horrible memory.

"Take a look through the cracks..." Kenny mumbled, when Andy's voice had gone. Cry moved away from you and moved to the door, and slowly peeked it open. He then looked back, and shook his head, shutting the door. The two of you looked to each other, and then listened as Danny muttered something. Then, Kenny signaled for Cry to look once more. Cry did... and by the way his jaw dropped and his body tensed, you realized that the three of you'd been caught.

Suddenly, Cry lunged forward, grabbing the gun that was apparently shoved into his face. You gasped and watched the shot go off. Cry gasped and let go of the gun, covering his ears from the loud noise. Danny then kicked Cry in the chest and knocked him to the ground, aiming his gun, ready to kill. You yelled and sprang forward, grabbing the sicle from your belt and digging it into his chest.

Danny let out a pained scream and shot his gun again, before moving forward and kicking you in the stomach. You gasped and fell backward as well, landing on your ass. You looked up to him and watched as he staggered a little, sicle still in his chest. He glared at you and raised his gun, but before he could pull the trigger, Kenny popped out of the stall and ambushed him.

Danny shrieked and dropped his gun. Kenny pulled the sicle from Danny's chest, only to strike him on the same spot again. Danny shrieked and stumbled backward, and you watched with wide eyes as his foot landed in a bear trap. Once again, he screamed, and fell backward, his body knocking into a pile of hay bales. You then saw Cry standing over you, reaching a hand down.

He had a muddy foot-print on his white T-shirt, on the chest. You took his hand and he pulled you up. After confirming that you were okay, the two of you made your way to Kenny's side, in front of Danny. You glared down at the St. Johns Brother, and watched as he looked up to you with uncertainty in his gaze.

"Where's my family, asshole?!" Kenny demanded. Danny's eyes flicked to the redneck.

"Y-You can't have 'em," He growled, before grabbing his leg and trying to pull it out of the bear-trap. "we need the vet!"

"NOO!" Katjaa's voice suddenly screamed from a distance. Kenny looked up, eyes wide.

"KAT!" He yelled. He spun to you and Cry.

"Cry, [Your Name], come on!" He growled. You stepped after him, but then turned around, and saw that Cry hadn't moved. He was looking toward Danny.

"Just go." Cry mumbled, still not looking up to you or Kenny. "I won't be far behind."

"Come on, [Your Name]!"

You wanted to protest, but Kenny grabbed your wrist and dragged you along. You finally got over the fact that you couldn't be with Cry for two seconds and turned, now running with Kenny. He looked angry and scared at the same time. You two began to make your way toward the house.

_Cry's P.O.V._

I glared down at Danny, watching him as he struggled to free himself from that stupid bear trap. He looked upset, pained, and at the same time... happy. I wasn't sure why, but it was bugging the absolute shit out of me. I growled at him... he only smirked back up at me. I turned away, and grabbed a pitch-fork that had been stabbed into one of the hay bales, and then turned back to him. I grabbed the handle of the pitch-fork with both hands, and aimed the long prongs at him. Danny grinned.

"You see?" He asked. "You understand now, don't you?" He grunted, and then groaned with pain. "You... you can have me! I-It's how the world works now- augh... G-Give part of yourself, s-so... ugh... others c-can live...!"

"Cannibalism is not the answer!" I snarled. "Aren't the walkers eating enough of us?!"

Danny grunted with pain. "Y-You gotta keep me alive!" Danny growled. "I-If you kill me... ah... the meat gets tainted!"

"You're already tainted, fucker!" I yelled.

Danny laughed. "You ain't gonna kill me!" He growled. "You... agh... ain't gonna kill me, just like you didn't kill Jolene! Eurgh... f-fucking coward!"

I growled, and threw the pitch-fork forward. His eyes grew wide with horror, but... became surprised when the tool didn't strike him. Instead, it hit the hay-bale, to his right. I snarled down at him, letting go of the tool.

"This is NOT how the world works now!" I growled. "You WON'T make me kill you!"

"Fuck you, Cry!"

My eyes widened, and I looked to my left, to see Lilly and Clementine approaching. Lilly looked absolutely pissed. "You kill my Dad, but you leave _this_ piece of shit alive? ...You're a fucking asshole."

I let my eyes flicked to Clementine, who looked somewhat relieved. I was only hoping she was relieved that I didn't kill the man. I sighed, and looked away from Lilly, down to Danny. I opened my mouth to speak next, but as I did, Katjaa's loud voice suddenly caught my attention.

"OH GOD, DON'T HURT HIM!"

"FUCK! DUUUCK!"

The second voice belonged to [Your Name]. My eyes grew wide.

"Lilly, please..." I turned to her. "Keep Clementine safe."

Lilly only glared at me, but I knew she wouldn't let anyone hurt Clementine. She wasn't that cold-hearted. I gave her a nod, and Clementine a hopeful look, before I turned and sprinted after Katjaa and [Your Name]'s voice.

"OH GOD, NO!" Katjaa screamed.

I ran out of the barn, and into the pouring rain. It was completely dark, now... and the sky was starless. It was cold... and wet.. and rain drenched me. I shivered, only being protected from the rain by a white t-shirt, but I didn't think about that too much as I ran after the sound of the screams. When I finally stopped, I realized that there was no one there. Not a single person in sight. I dropped into a crouching position and looked around, before calling out.

"[Your Name]?! Kenny?!"

No response. I looked up toward the house. The lights were on, and shaded figures were on the inside, moving. I watched it curiously, before suddenly perking my head to the sound of the bushes moving beside me. They were tall crops on the other side of the fence that hid most of whatever was on the inside. I saw whatever it was moving... and then suddenly...

Felix, Doug, and Ben's heads popped out, eyeing the land curiously. My eyes widened. "Guys!" I called out in a hushed tone. Each of them looked toward me, before standing straight. I made my way over to them, but still remained crouching. I didn't have the safety of the tall crops, like everyone else had.

"Cry!" Felix gasped. Doug grinned. "Hey, dude! Is everyone okay?"

I quickly shook my head. His hopeful expression faltered. "They attacked us!" I replied. Ben's eyes widened.

"I knew it! I told you we couldn't trust them."

"Shit!" Pewds growled. "How many of them are there?!"

"Two left." I replied.

"Where?" Doug asked. I shook my head.

"Larry's dead! And they chopped off Mark's legs and tried to _feed_ them to us!"

"Shiiit..." Felix mumbled. He spoke slowly as he processed the information he was just given. The other two looked disgusted and freaked out. "Is everyone else okay?"

"They've still got Duck and Katjaa in the house!" I replied. "And I don't know where the fuck Kenny and [Your Name] is!"

"Alright," Doug chimed in. "We're coming in to help."

"The main gate is too dangerous," I advised. "Go around the fence and see if there's a back way in. I'll keep looking for Kenny and [Your Name]."

The three of them nodded, and disappeared back in the crops. I turned and moved back toward the trail, keeping low, and began to make my way toward the house. Rain continued to pound against me, freezing my skin and drenching my hair and clothes. I'd subconsciously made my hands into fists, and didn't realize until just now. It'd been a habit I picked up the last couple months, for whenever I was angry. I almost felt like one of the people that needed a stress-ball.

As I got closer to the house, I could hear Katjaa screaming. Worry began to grow inside me. I picked up the pace, and it wasn't long before I was several feet away from the door. But before I could take another step, Brenda's figure showed up just behind the screen.

"Andy? Danny, is that you?" She called. "What's goin' on, out there?"

I frowned. "Where's Katjaa and Duck?!" I snarled.

"Oh God..." Brenda gasped. I watched as she backed away from the door. I snarled and stood straight, before sprinting to the door. I threw it open and took a step in, and then froze in my tracks. Brenda was standing close to me, but was slowly backing away, holding Katjaa against her. She had a gun pressed to the German woman's temple.

"You just HAD to go snooping around, didn't you?!" Brenda spat.

"Let me go!" Katjaa cried.

I glared, but tried to keep my voice calm. "Let her go, Brenda..." I began to take another step closer. At this, Brenda took a step back, toward the stairs. She pointed the gun to me and growled. I stopped walking.

"Cry, please!" She snapped. "Don't you take another step!"

"Brenda, come on now..." I said gently. "you know you don't want to do this."

I took another step forward, then stopped. She put the gun to Katjaa's head and took a step backward, going further up the stairs. "Just go away, and leave us be!" She spat.

She watched me as I slowly, _slowly_ began to take more steps toward her. She suddenly pointed the gun at me, and once again, I stopped. She frowned.

"Stop right there, I mean it!" She snapped. I waited... and watched as she backed up the stairs again. And as she did... I noticed something.

At the top, reaching through the handles.

A walker sat there, with bloody, broken black square glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. He was silent, though eager to get a taste of Brenda's flesh. It was just a tease as she got closer and closer to it. She wasn't aware that it was there.

It was Mark. My heart sank. I knew that he'd be a big help like this, but... it felt wrong.

I began to take more steps toward her. She gasped, and pointed the gun to Katjaa's temple once more. I sighed.

"Think about what you're doing." I told her. "It doesn't have to end like this."

She began to take more steps up the stairs. Outside, lightning cracked, then thunder. It began to storm.

"I'll kill her, Cry!" She snapped. Katjaa cried out. I took another step forward. She pointed the gun at me. "Stay back!" She repeated. "Don't do anything stupid!"

I wanted to tell her that _she _was the stupid one, but I kept my mouth shut. She took more steps backward... more toward her doom. Katjaa struggled in her grasp, lightly choking from the grip.

"Let her _go_, Brenda..." I said calmly.

"Please, listen to him!" Brenda's soft voice pleaded.

Brenda's hand began to shake. She took more steps up the stairs. "I'll do it!" She threatened, putting the gun back to Katjaa's head.

"P-Please..." Katjaa begged.

I took more steps closer. Same routine. She pointed her gun at me and took more steps up the stairs... getting so, _so _close to Mark.

"I don't want to kill you, Cry!" She called to me.

"Please, don't make this any worse." I told her. She snarled.

"J-Just stop!" She growled.

...This was it. This was it for Brenda. I prayed to God that Katjaa would survive this, and then took a few steps forward. Brenda pointed the gun to me again, and took a step back, shouting something that didn't matter... and then screamed as Mark's dead arms latched around her. Brenda let Katjaa go, and Katjaa ran down the stairs and toward me. When she was at my side, we both fled the house, not watching Zombie-Mark feed on his new meal.

"They took Duck!" Katjaa gasped. "Where's Kenny?!"

"I SAID DON'T MOVE, ASSHOLE!"

I spun around, and cast my gaze down the drive. Katjaa's question had an answer, but it didn't come from me.

"LET HER GO, GOD DAMN IT! DON'T HURT HER!"

Duck was hidden behind his father, cowering as he watched Andy. My eyes flicked to Andy as soon as I heard Kenny imply the _female_... and noticed what was happening. Andy had [Your Name] by the arm. The hood had been torn off, revealing her messy hair that he'd done earlier that day. Rain pounded onto her. She looked scared and miserable, but also really irritated. He had a gun against her back, and his finger was over the trigger.

"That ain't gonna happen!" Andy snarled. He jabbed the gun harder against [Your Name]'s back, causing her to wince. I gasped.

"[YOUR NAME]!"

She looked up to me, a scared and sorrow-filled look in her beautiful [eye color] eyes. Andy looked to me and snarled.

"The beautiful Nothern flower belongs to me!" He snapped. God, I hated the nick-name he'd given her. "Ya can't have 'er anymore!"

I sprinted down the steps, and made my way toward Kenny. Kenny sensed me and spun around, eyes wide.

"CRY, DON'T!"

I sprinted past him, and toward [Your Name]. Her eyes went wide, and she and I both watched together as Andy's gun left her side, and aimed at me. I tried skidding to a stop, but it was too late. He pulled the trigger, and I felt pain strike my side... followed by lots and lots of warm liquid. I gave a loud grunt of pain and fell to the ground. [Your Name] screamed.

"CRY!"

Everything began to go fuzzy. I wasn't sure what was happening. I heard Andy shout with pain, and then another shot, and then tumbling. I covered the painful spot with my side and looked up, sending my now blurry gaze toward [Your Name] and Andy, who were wrestling down the hill together. I winced, and tried to get up, but a pair of arms snatched me up and held me tight. I knew it was Katjaa.

"Let me... go..." I groaned. "Must... save her..."

Katjaa wouldn't let go.

_Your P.O.V._

You struggled to get to your feet. Tumbling down that hill and smashing into that fence did not make things easier. But as you got to your knees, Andy sprinted forward and kicked you in the side. You painfully cried out and fell to your side. You tried to get to your feet again... but struggled. Andy had appeared for a moment, and after the sound of the generator turning on started, he was back at your side.

You gasped as he grabbed the hood of the green sweater you wore and began to drag you toward the fence. You struggled and cried out, half-choking from the pressure of the jacket being applied to your lungs. He pulled you up onto your knees and then grabbed your head, holding your arms back as he began to push your head toward the electric fence. You grunted and groaned as you struggled to get out of the fence, eyeing the wires fearfully. Suddenly, your eyes flicked to Lilly and Clementine, who were standing by the entrance of the barn.

"Lilly, help!" You called out. She looked to you, and glared, before looking away. Your eyes widened. _That bitch!_

Suddenly, Andy's hand slipped. You took this opportunity and threw your elbow backward, elbowing him in the gut. Andy grunted and fell backward, landing in the dirt. You got onto your feet and turned to him, glaring.

"What's the matter, St. John?!" You spat. "I thought you liked girls with a little fight!"

Andy glared back at you, but before he got up, you got on his chest, pinning his arms down with your knees. You balled your hands into fists and began throwing punches... punch after punch... bloodying up his pretty little face. Finally, one of his arms slipped free, and he punched you back. You screamed as you fell off of him. He rolled on top of you, and you watched with horror as he moved to strike your face with another blow. However, you were quicker. Your hands were free, by his mistake. You reached your hand up and caught his punch, before throwing him off of you.

The two of you scrambled to your feet. He tackled you, but you stood your ground, keeping your feet dug into the dirt as you battled him. He pushed against you, and you pushed back. You almost thought you were going to give out, but suddenly, Andy slipped in his footing. You used the advantage and pushed against him, shoving him into the fence. He screamed as his body sizzled from the four-hundred volts that was going through him. Finally, his body was freed from the fence, and he fell to his knees.

You stood only a little ways away, fists still clenched. ...You then looked to the gun laying at Andy's left. Quickly, you walked forward and snatched it up, before returning to your spot. Andy looked to you, and then to his gun. His eyes widened. You watched him with glaring, dangerous eyes. The sky stormed above you, throwing out thunder and lightning this way and that.

"Is that all you got, [Your Name]?!" Andy panted. He watched you. "Y-... You ain't shit!"

You glared darkly, holding the gun close to your chest.

"It's _over_!" You yelled.

"Fuck. You!" Andy growled, beginning to get to his feet. "As soon as Dan and Momma get out here, you're..." He stood straight, and pointed at you, still panting. "You're all fucked!"

You were silent for a couple moments... watching as he struggled to even continue standing. You then growled. "They're both dead." You spoke, a little calmer.

Andy's eyes widened, pure sorrow beginning to fill them. "Wh... What?" He asked, tears beginning to fall. He shook his head, glaring. "What... What... What did you do?!" He asked. His eyes widened, and he raised his voice. "_What the fuck did you do_?!"

You sighed, and looked away. Then looked back to him. He gave you an angry, yet helpless look. You then looked away again, and turned around. You lifted your gaze to meet the eyes of your group. Each one of them... everyone you'd come to know and love except for Mark and Larry... stood there, eyes wide and full of sympathy as they watched you. Cry, who's mask was covered with a little dirt and blood, held his side as he leaned against Kenny... but he was standing. He was alive. Beside him, Clementine tightly held his hand, and watched me with wide, curious, fearful eyes. You sighed, and began to walk toward them. You heard a scoff come from behind you.

"Don't you _dare_ walk away from me, [Your Name]!"

You ignored him, and continued walking toward your group. Each of them began to look a little relieved. You reached up to your face and wiped away a little blood under your nose, and on your cheek... and some dirt away from your forehead. You heard a slump from behind.

"Come back here and finish this, [Your Name]!"

You continued to ignore the poor asshole and walked. There was a pause, and then he continued.

"[Yyyooouuurrr Nnnnaaaammmeeee]!"

Finally, you stopped. Your group's eyes widened. You looked to them, and then, slowly turned to steal a glance at Andy. He was watching you with big eyes, tears quickly running down his cheeks. He was upon his knees, his clothes soaked with water, dirt, and blood. He looked pathetic. You almost felt bad for him. Slowly, you turned fully toward him. You heard gasps coming from behind you. You ignored them and made your way to Andy. He looked pleased, but then, that expression faded as you spoke.

"You know, Andy, I came here thinking my group and I could be safe." You started, trying to speak over the rain, keeping your voice loud and clear. "I came here thinking, maybe, if things worked out, the world would be okay. I can live my life-long dream of actually having a family. ...And then I realized something, my friend." Andy rose an eyebrow, confused. I continued, lightly smiling. "I realized. That dork in the white mask, and the cute little girl... _they're_ my family. The brunette who just lost her father... the group of nerds. The chubby guy who's good with technology. The redneck with the German wife and a kid named after an animal. _They're_ my family.

"I've wanted to start over with a fresh husband and child, but I realized, I have what I've always wanted with me... right here, right now. So you know what, Andy? I'm not like you." You paused. "You wanna know why?" Andy's eyes widened as you slowly approached him. You leaned into his face, noses only inches away. You smirked.

_"I can be just as happy as you with my own 'Northern Flowers'."_


	14. Chapter 14

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**The Promise**_

_Your P.O.V._

It was hard to see through the darkness of the night, and your group was worried about using the flash-lights... but you all knew they would help. Some held their guns close while others held the lights. It was late, and everyone was tired, and still hungry. Everyone huddled close together, sincerely worried about their safety. Your group continued to slowly make their way down the path, making small talk or very quiet conversations with one-another as they went. A few just stayed completely silent.

Cry was leaning against you as you two walked together. Your arms were around him for support... both physically, and emotionally. Though you had battled Andy and received plenty of punches to the face, leaving you bloody and dirty, Cry had been _shot,_ and you knew that he was way more tired than you were. He tried rejecting your help when you offered it, but you wouldn't let him be too modest... and now you could tell that he really didn't want you to let go. His side had stopped bleeding a while ago, thanks to a rag that Katjaa had given him after telling him to apply pressure... but he still needed to be cleaned, bandaged, and possibly even stitched up. Katjaa promised that would all come when your group arrived back to the motor-inn.

Every once in a while, you and Cry exchanged glances, both lightly smiling to each other, as you both remembered that you'd made it out... alive... together. Your small family had made it out, and you both were sincerely grateful. Clementine trotted at your side, keeping close to you. You didn't have any free hands to hold hers with, but she suited just fine with clinging to the green jacket covering you.

"Hey, Cry..."

Your head perked at the same time that Cry's did, and you looked over your shoulder. Doug, gave you guys a small smile. His eyes were lightly lit up, and for some reason, you though it matched his dark brown, currently messy hair. He looked to you guys and gave a small sigh.

"I'd say I'm sorry for leaving the motel unattended, but... you know."

Cry was silent for a moment. You were wondering if he was even going to respond. He'd turned back around and continued limping beside you. His head was tilted toward the ground, and you could imagine him staring at the leaves as he passed them. Finally, _finally_, he spoke... his voice surprisingly calm and steadier than you thought it'd be.

"I'm glad you showed up when you did."

"Were they... really... killing people... for food?" Doug dared asked. You finally turned away from him and looked toward the direction you were going, eyes scanning the trail as you walked.

"Yeah, and Clementine almost ate some," Cry replied, voice still soft. You sensed him looking to you, but you didn't look back. He lightly sighed. "And they did some... uh... other pretty ugly things, too." He paused. "I can't leave my family alone, Doug. This fucking world now... it's hiding, just... unspeakable shit at every turn."

You tensed, and you felt his arm around your neck lightly tighten as he gave a comforting pat on your shoulder. Beside you, Clementine sighed. You reached away from Cry for only a moment to pat her head.

"Katjaa managed to grab this while she was in the house," Doug suddenly mumbled. "She said it was with your stuff."

You and Cry slowed in your step, allowing Doug to walk beside you. Cry reached out for a moment and took the small object from Doug's hands. You stared down at it, studying it's appearance. It was a cam-corder. Where'd he get that?

"Yeah..." Cry mumbled, staring down at it. "I found it when I was looking for the people who shot Mark." He paused. "...Do you want it?"

Doug shook his head. "Why don't you keep it? It'll help to have something you can document your thoughts on."

Cry slowly nodded, and put the cam-corder into his pocket. You watched it curiously, eyeing it before it disappeared. You continued walking, and then suddenly... Cry let out a pained gasp, and lightly keeled over. The whole group stopped and turned to him. You stayed close, but lightly loosened your grip. You looked him up and down, more worry growing inside of you.

"You okay?" Kenny's voice called from only a little bit ahead of you guys. Cry tilted his head upward, a small smile spreading across his lips.

"Just fine, Ken." He replied. "Just hurts a little."

"Well, you're lucky you're so young." Kenny laughed. "Christ, just imagine if it were _me _who was shot, instead of you."

"God forbid..." Katjaa muttered.

The rest of the group began to walk again, however, you, Cry, and Kenny lagged a little bit... not really walking just yet. Kenny looked you and Cry up and down, before turning to his wife.

"Hon, why don't you give Cry and I a sec?" He asked. "We need to talk."

Katjaa nodded, then turned and trotted off. Clementine followed after, along with Duck. Kenny looked back to the two of you. Once the group was at a safe distance, and out of ear-shot, Kenny sighed, and momentarily shut his eyes.

"There's gonna be a fallout." He mumbled.

"For killing Lilly's Dad?" Cry asked. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"What do you two think?" Kenny asked, his gaze flicking between you and Cry. You weren't sure what to say. To be honest, you couldn't find the will to speak. You just kept quiet and let the men talk... deciding not to chime in unless they wanted you to.

"We're with you, Kenny." Cry decided for you, which you were just fine with. "We'll do whatever needs to be done."

Kenny gave somewhat of a relieved, grateful nod and expression. "You're damn right." He paused... looking away for a second, then back to Cry. His eyes flicked between him and you, over and over. "Listen, I've almost got that RV up and running back at the motor-inn. I've changed my mind. I want you two to come with us when we leave."

"Yeah?" Cry asked, looking slightly amused. Kenny scoffed.

"Hell yeah! The three of us are a team, man. Taking out Larry together before he turned saved all of us in that meat locker. It saved my family too. _And_ yours. Yeah, I say the two of you earned it."

You lightly smiled toward Kenny, and gave a small nod, before you found yourself looking to your left. Clementine was approaching, her hands limp at her sides. She looked up at you with a calm, yet tired expression. You smiled to her, and reached out a hand.

"Come on, Clementine..." You spoke softly, your own tired voice sounding for the first time in a while. "Stay close."

"[Your Name]...?" She asked. You blinked, before looking to Cry. He nodded to you, and as he did so, you pulled away from him, and moved to Clementine's side. You crouched down, so the two of you could see at eye-level.

"What's up, sweetheart?" I asked, raising a hand to place it on her shoulder. She sighed, her gaze looking away from yours.

"Are those bad people dead?" She asked

I didn't want to tell her that they were alive, and suffering... which they very well may have been. I didn't want to tell her that I had no idea... so I stuck with a possible truth.

"No, I'm pretty sure the walkers got them, Clementine." I mumbled. I continued to look into her eyes, though she wouldn't look into mine. I didn't blame her. She was too tired and freaked out to really look at anything for more than five seconds. "They were bad people, and they were punished."

She lightly sighed, and looked up at me for a moment. "Okay." She whispered.

"Hey Daaad..." Duck's voice suddenly piped up. I slowly stood and turned around, watching Duck's small figure as he huddled closer to his mother. "What's that noise?"

You gently took hold of Clementine's wrist and made your way over to Cry. Cry pulled you both into his arms, and the three of you began to quietly make your way over to the rest of the group. You listened for whatever noise Duck was talking about. At first, you couldn't hear anything. But the more you listened, the more you realized that something _was_ actually there. It sounded like...

An engine.

"Sounds like a car..." Kenny mumbled.

"Oh God...!" Ben gasped. "Not more strangers..."

Your group, almost all at the same time, dropped into a crouch. Everyone was quick to move, curious as to what the noise was. You and Cry kept Clementine close, and kept close to each other as you moved with the group. Eventually, you guys came upon a small car. The passenger's seat was opened, the light on.

The car beeped, over and over. You gazed at the car curiously, then watched Cry leave your side. You were concerned about his condition, but he seemed more curious than you were about what the car was. Kenny was close behind him. The two made their way to the car while the rest of the group stayed behind.

You kept Clementine close. When they were close enough, Cry leaned into the car, and did... something. The car stopped beeping. Cry mumbled something under his breath, but it was too soft for you to see. He pulled away and stood up straight, his action followed by Kenny, before glancing in the group's direction.

"Oh, _crap_!" Kenny suddenly exclaimed. Your eyes flicked to the redneck, and watched as he gazed into the trunk of the vehicle. "Baby, you've gotta see this!"

You watched Katjaa quickly move to her husband's side. You got to your feet and moved to the car, gently pulling Clementine along with you. Everyone began to surround the car as they looked inside. Your eyes widened at what you saw. The car's trunk and back seat was choked full of food and supplies. ...Enough to last months.

"There's a shit load of food and supplies back here!" Kenny gasped.

"This food could save all of us!" Katjaa chimed in, a wide smile breaking out on her lips. Suddenly, a low growl sounded.

"Not _all_ of us." She grumbled, glaring toward you. You sighed and looked away from her, though you couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"Look, we don't know if these people are dead," Ben pointed out.

"If they come back," Lilly grumbled. "Then we're just the monsters who came from the woods and ruined their lives."

"This stuff isn't ours." Clementine agreed.

Duck blinked, curiously. "Dad, whose car is it?"

"Don't worry about that, Duck." Kenny turned to his son and smirked, eyes brightening. "It's ours, now."

"It's abandoned, Ducky, don't worry." Katjaa chimed in again.

"What if it's not?" Clementine asked. Everyone turned to look at her... including you. You raised an eyebrow. "What if it's not abandoned?" She continued, holding her arm. "What if it _is_ someone's?"

"You're right, we shouldn't take this." Cry added, gesturing to Clementine. You lightly smiled.

"Yeah, the girl's right." You agreed. "This isn't our stuff. We have no right taking it."

"What?" Kenny asked, tone full of disbelief. "Did you get some meal the rest of us missed out on? We _have_ to take this stuff!"

You imagined Cry frowning toward Kenny, but not out of anger. "Clementine, the Princess, and I don't want any part of this." He gestured to you as he said your title, which you don't remember the last time hearing.

"We're starving!" Kenny pointed out. "...Suit yourself. The rest of us are taking this stuff."

Kenny gave one last offer, but Cry shook his head in refusal. Kenny rolled his eyes and turned toward the car, popping open the trunk and going through it. Others began to crowd around and take stuff... even Lilly offered to help out, in the end. You, Cry, and Clementine only stared as they grabbed the food. At one point, Katjaa's voice called to you.

"[Your Name], there's a hoodie in here. Could probably fit Clementine."

You glanced toward Clementine, but she smiled, and shook her head. You smiled back, and looked back to the car.

"She's good, thanks."

"Whatever..." Kenny mumbled. "It'll get cold out, eventually."

"Hey," Doug suddenly piped up. You and Cry turned to look to him, and watched as he approached. He had another smile plastered to his face. "There were some batteries in that box," He continued. "I figured you could use it for your cam-corder."

"Here..." He turned to Clementine. "You can have some, too. For your Walkie-Talkie."

Clementine's face brightened.

Cry handed over his cam-corder, and Doug began to put them in. After a minute... his face fell. You looked at him, curiously. Suddenly, he looked up.

"[Your Name], Cry, you're gonna want to see this..."

_"JAKE, BART, LINDA, AND ALL YA'LL FUCKIN' SICKOS FROM THE SAVE-LOTS! THEY CALL YA'LL BANDITS, BUT YOU'RE FUCKIN' RACIST MONST-... Oh darlin' baby, look at you! Look. At. You. Oh, you need a momma, sweetheart. An __**actual**__ momma. We won't let those bandits get to you, will we? No. Ya'll thinkin' your safe, sittin' there, actin' like things are the way they used to be. The dead don't kill their own. It's the living you gotta be afraid of. The people I used to call 'friends'. The people... who took... ...Don't worry, little girl. Bandits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe._

_ I promise."_


	15. Chapter 15

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**Batman And Robin**_

_Your P.O.V._

The streets were quiet... a little too quiet for your liking. Not a single walker had shown their face since you'd left the motor-inn. At first, you thought maybe they'd found something somewhere else and would be back eventually, but... the fact that they actually _weren't _coming back was worrying you. Beside you, your father-like redneck friend walked proudly, each stride showing off his purpose. He held a shotgun in his hands... and in your hands, you held a rifle. ...The same rifle that Andy St. John was holding before you'd snatched it up and walked away. The weapon had _St John _etched into the side. You looked down at the weapon with interest... and then looked away again. It was hard for you to block out the terrible memories that man had created.

"Looks like it's our lucky day." Kenny piped up from beside you. You raised your head to look to him, [eye color] meeting brownish-green. He was smiling at you... expression proud, but also gentle. You softly smiled at him, and gave a soft nod of your head.

"Maybe things will go smoothly this time...?"

"We deserve it, after last time." Kenny looked back toward the direction you two were going.

There was a pause between you two, the air filling with a slightly awkward silence. You looked away, and toward your feet. You hadn't been really looking anywhere else except for the ground lately. It'd only been about a week or so since the visit to the dairy, and you... along with several other group members... were still getting over the emotional trauma it put you through. It wasn't every day that you went to a "peaceful" place, got raped, watched your crush get shot, and then have your team members unknowingly eat your best friend. It wasn't the greatest day of your life.

"[Your Name]..." Kenny started up again. "Where do you stand on stayin' or goin'?"

You could feel his gaze burning into your skin, but you didn't look up to him. You processed the thought through your mind, before you finally gave your soft-toned answer.

"You mean packing up the motel, and getting into the RV?"

"Yeah, we've been talking about it, but... have you and Cry made up your minds yet?"

There was a moment of silence. Then you spoke up again. You finally looked to him. "We should go," You finally agreed. "The motel's run it's course, and it's not safe."

"You're damn right it has." Kenny sighed. "We pile into the RV, and don't slow down until we see water. And if Lilly's deadset on staying... well, that's the way it goes."

You looked away from Kenny, and noticed the Drug-Store that the two of you were heading to. It was the same drug-store as before... Everette's. The sign had mostly fallen apart, most of the store had been burned up, covered with dirt and ashes. A large truck blocked the way between the Drug-Store and the rest of the road. You eyed the truck, wondering exactly what had happened since you guys had left about three months before. It wasn't unusual to see the place in this state, now. You'd ventured here all the time for food when your group was out scavenging. But now, Macon, the city your group was living in, was nearly picked clean... all by you and a couple survivors that you'd surprisingly hadn't come into contact with.

"Alright, just like last time." Kenny mumbled to you, as the two of you approached the abandoned truck. "Over the rig, into the pharmacy, and scrape together whatever supplies are left."

"We didn't leave much in there," You mentioned, staring up at the truck.

"We're outta options." Kenny retorted. He made his way closer to the truck, and began to climb the latter. "Somethin's better than nothin'."

As he made his way toward the top of the truck, trying to keep a fast pace on his walk, the latter suddenly snapped under his foot. One of the hinges came loose, and the whole latter tilted to the side. Kenny, who had made it safely onto the top of the truck, watched the latter with wide-ish eyes.

"Shit." He mumbled. "The latter's come loose. I'm not sure how many trips she's got in her."

"I don't know many more trips _we've_ got in_ us_..." You mumbled. Kenny slowly nodded in agreement. You quickly walked over to the latter and took hold of it... but as soon as you tried to lift one of your legs, the latter snapped off completely. It fell from your arms and toppled to the ground. You scoffed as you looked to it, before looking up to Kenny. He'd looked irritated, but then, a slightly amused smile spread across his face. You knew he found it funny. You smiled, too.

"I think she's had it." You told him.

"What now?" Kenny asked.

You turned around and began to walk off. "I'll find another way up," you told him. "Hang on."

It wasn't long before you found your key... some sort of military vehicle. You'd taken the hook from the front and connected it to a bar on the truck, before walking back over to the military vehicle and hitting a switch. The vehicle began to pull itself toward the truck, knocking off any debris it had been covered in. You watched it go, before giving a thumbs-up to Kenny. He returned the gesture.

"Lilly's not doin' so good, huh?" Kenny asked softly. You sighed, before putting your hands on your hips. You shrugged.

"Well, we killed her Dad."

Kenny sighed after you did. "We _did_ kill her Dad." He paused. "Your girl still upset with me for taking stuff out of that car last week?"

"Clementine?" You asked. The vehicle almost reached the truck. "I haven't asked." You admitted.

"Just gonna let it strew, huh?" Kenny rose an eyebrow to you in question. You didn't answer the car reached the truck, and shut off. You took your chance and climbed onto the car, before looking up to your friend. He gazed back down at you, readjusting his hat.

"Duck was asking about Hershel's farm last night..." Kenny mumbled. You blinked up at him, and tilted your head to the side in a curious gesture. "Really?" You asked. "I wasn't sure it phased him." Kenny gave an irritated huff at you.

"Of 'course it did."

I shrugged. "It was a scary situation for him... Shawn dying and all."

"I'm just worried he'll always think it was his fault..." Kenny muttered. He gently lay against the truck and reached a hand out toward you. You gave him a sympathetic look, and then took his hand. Keeping a firm grip on your wrist, you jumped and he pulled, hoisting you onto the truck of the car. When you'd made it to the top, you smiled at him... before a sudden, loud scream whatever Kenny was going to say next.

"AHHHHH! NOOO, NO! GO AWAYYYY! GO AWAYYYYYYY!"

You and Kenny looked toward the direction you came, and saw a woman staggering out of the shop, a walker following after her. She tripped and fell to the ground, and then struggled to get to her feet. The walker was right on her tail. You and Kenny looked to each other, before laying flat against the truck, not wanting to be seen. You watched as more and more walkers came out of their hiding spots and began to limp toward her.

"HELP MEEEEE!" The woman shrieked. "AHHHHHH! SOMEBODY HELP ME! OH GOD! OH GOD!"

"What the hell..." Kenny whispered. "What the hell is that?! A walker?"

He was talking about the woman's appearance. She was dirty, covered in grime and other disgusting stuff. Her hair was matted and messy, her skin was red and flaky, and her clothes were torn. You slowly shook your head.

"Walkers don't scream, do they?!" You asked.

The woman continued to scream and shriek as walkers began to grow closer. Growling and groaning could be heard as they neared her. She screamed loudly, only attracting more and more. Your eyes widened at the sight of how many there were... all being attracted by _her. _You rose your rifle, just to confirm that she was human. As you stared through the telescope... you realized that she _was._ You looked to Kenny, and whispered,

"It's a girl! We have to help her."

"How?!" Kenny whispered back. "There's no getting to her!"

"We have to do something!" You snapped back. You peered through the scope of your gun again. More walkers continued to surround her. Finally, one dragging itself along the ground latched onto her ankle and bit into her flesh. You sighed.

"She's been bitten..." You informed the redneck. "We should shoot her. Put her out of her misery."

Kenny shook his head. "They'll know we're here." He pointed out.

You blinked. "What do you mean?"

Kenny sighed. "I mean, we leave her alive, and she draws them all to her, buying _us_ time."

"Ken..."

"Think about it!" Kenny continued. "We're always worryin' about the ones we _can't_ see. If she stays alive, it'll bring them all out of their holes!"

You looked back to the woman, watching as more walkers began to latch onto her. She kicked them off and screamed, holding the places she was being bitten. You bit you lip and watched her. ...You knew Kenny was right. Oh God, it was horrible, but you knew he was right. As he grabbed you wrist and gave it a tug, you let in and turned around, leaving the girl to her own fate with him.

You were going to go to Hell for this... you were sure.

The two of you hopped over the truck and into the shadows, then got to the door of the back of the Drug-Store and slipped in. Her voice was still loud and clear, screaming, being eaten alive by monsters. It ate you alive yourself knowing that you had just left her. Guilt... utter guilt... began to grow inside you. You gave Kenny a helpless look. He looked back and sighed, placing a hand on your shoulder.

"You did the right thing, [Your Name]." He told you.

You frowned at him, and shook your head, shrugging his hand off of your shoulder before venturing inside the store. Kenny sighed and followed after, running past you as you guys tried to be quick.

"We should be good to clear this place out, but we ain't got all day. Clear this place out as fast as you can." He said.

You nodded, and then dove for the nearest shelf. It didn't have many items... tooth-paste, a single can of soup, an open box of bandages... still, you shrugged the yellow bag you were carrying off of your shoulder and began to throw stuff in. Once you cleared one shelf, you moved onto the next, and then the next. There were only a few things at each shelf... boxes or cans of food, medicine, and little trinkets that you thought Clementine might enjoy. At once point, you stumbled upon a chocolate bar, and your eyes lit up. You snatched it off the shelf, but slid it into your pocket instead. You then continued to the other shelves.

By this point, your bag was almost completely packed with the last of the items the Drug-Store had. But before you told Kenny you were ready, your eyes suddenly flicked over a nice, big red parka. You eyed it curiously, before walking over and grabbing it. It looked like it could fit Cry. You smiled. Cry hadn't asked for his green jacket back, but there was no way you were going to give it up, anyway. It smelled just like him, and you were happy whenever you wore it.

Thankfully, Lilly had lent you a black long-sleeved shirt, so you weren't naked under your new jacket. But now, this red parka seemed perfect for Cry. You tied the jacket around your waist, before turning to Kenny.

"Ready!"

"Okay!" Kenny called back. "Let's- Oh, _shit_!"

Walkers had begun to crowd against the doors of the Drug-Store. You hadn't noticed the woman stop screaming... but had, which meant that the walkers were finished with her, and had taken a notice to you and your companion. You felt another pang of guilt, but you knew you couldn't think about that right now. You joined Kenny's side, then watched as he jumped over a counter and ran down an isle. You followed after, jumping over the counter, and-

The door to your left suddenly fell, smashing you under it. You screamed, bracing your hands against the door, as you tried to keep the walker above it from grabbing you. You called out Kenny's name, and in a matter of moments, he was there, knocking the walker off of the door and helping you up. The two of you turned and sprinted out of the Drug-Store, leaving the walkers in your dust.

OoOoOoO

You and Kenny quietly walked through the motel lot, aiming to go to Lilly's room. You'd looked around... noticing that not many people were in sight. You imagined most of them to be in their rooms, resting. Felix was on watch, his sleek figure sitting atop the RV, in a chair, with a rifle. He looked to you and Kenny and smiled, giving a small wave. You'd waved back, before looking around again. Your eyes landed on Clementine, who was all by herself... talking to her Walkie-Talkie. You rose an eyebrow in confusion, but then realized that she must have been having a pretend-conversation with her parents, like she'd mentioned she liked to do... even if the Talkie was broken.

As you walked by, she looked up to you, and smiled. She slid her talkie into her pocket before running over to you. When she arrived, she kept her voice soft.

"You're back!" She smiled. She then pulled her Talkie back out of her pocket and showed it to you. You noticed how it looked a little... different. "Felix gave me some stickers and told me to put them on my Walkie!" She spoke cutely. You smiled down at her.

"Hey, sweetpea." You whispered. "That's neat. ...I'll find you in a minute, okay?"

Clementine nodded, before turning around and trotting off. You lightly sighed, and looked to Kenny, but his focus wasn't on you. He was looking toward Lilly's motel room. You watched her door, too, and then sighed again. The two of you approached the door, and you leaned forward, knocking against the wood. In a couple of moments, it opened to reveal Lilly's face. She looked a little irritated... as usual.

"What'd you get?" She asked. You looked to Kenny, before looking back to Lilly. She reached forward and snatched your gun from your hands, replacing it with a hand-gun before moving to put it away. You sighed and loaded the hand gun, before slipping it into it's spot on your belt. After she put the rifle on her desk, she moved back to you and crossed her arms, waiting.

"Just what was left." You replied.

"Which... was a lot, actually." Kenny smiled. "More than I expected us to get."

You smiled, too, and the two of you gave your nearly completely packed bags to her. She eyed the bags, taking them into her arms. She turned and set them on the bed, and began to go through them.

"We're _fine_, by the way." Kenny muttered. A smile spread across Lilly's face, and she looked up to the two of you again.

"Nice work," She praised, looking mainly to you. "This'll keep us going." She moved away from the bag, and to her door again, smiling at you guys. "If we keep this up, we can make it through the winter here."

Kenny lightly frowned. "The winter?" He rose his voice. "We'll freeze our asses off, here!"

Lilly scoffed. "Because piling into an RV with you two, after what you did to my Dad, is sooo appealing." She said sarcastically.

You chimed in. "We'll have to go eventually, Lilly."

She eyed you, and frowned a little more... her smile completely vanishing.

"We don't _have_ to do anything." She said.

"Before, you didn't want to go because of your Dad's health." Kenny started. You tensed. Oh, shit. "But he's gone now," Kenny continued. "I-"

"Easy, Kenny..." You chirped, raising a hand up. He flashed you a look.

"At it again, are we?" A sudden, new voice spoke. You turned around, eyes landing on Cry. He had a small smile on his face. You felt your heart begin to beat a little faster. You smiled back at him, and mouthed a little _Hello!_.

"Can it, Cry..." Kenny grunted.

"Look, we're stronger together." You began. "We're sorry about what happened, Lilly, to your Dad, but we're in this _together_ now."

"What about the food situation? What about protection? What about when this place falls?" Kenny asked, listing off reasons. "Somebody's gotta be thinkin' about this shit."

You sighed. "We got plenty of food from that station wagon!" You pointed that out as you turned to Kenny. He eyed you up and down, and you just _knew_ that he was judging your loyalty.

"You didn't even _wanna_ take it!" Kenny retorted. "Where the hell would we be now? We can't just keep our fingers crossed for more station wagons..."

"Everything that happens to us is just another excuse for you to pull this crap about leaving." Lilly sighed. "All I want is a week of peace; of not hearing it!"

"Do you know _how _we got these supplies?" Kenny suddenly asked. Your eyes widened. _Oh God, no. Nooooo, no, no. Kenny, don't even-_

"We got lucky, and let a girl get eaten out there."

Lilly's eyes widened, and you heard Cry gasp. You lightly cringed, and sent your gaze down to the ground, heart filling with guilt and shame. You crossed your arms in an insecure gesture and pursed your lips.

"Some girl came screaming out of the ally. She had dead hanging all over her." Kenny continued. "She gave us enough time to get everything we could out of the drug store."

"I-It was a mistake..." You mumbled. You felt Cry's arm snake around your waist and pull you close to him. You sighed. "We got our supplies, but we should have tried to save her, or put her out of her misery..."

"Well, you were with Kenny," Lilly sneered. "So some options were off the table."

Kenny scoffed. "You should be thanking [Your Name] for not shootin' that girl."

"It's not so _easy_ for her." Lilly retorted.

There was a moment of silence. Then Kenny sighed. "Look, Macon and it's people isn't savable. It's not a town. It's full of walkers!" He snapped. "And the people that _were_ alive are dying and wandering out onto the streets. It's Hell-On-Earth... and it's coming this way."

"IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASIER OUT ON THE ROAD!" Lilly suddenly screamed. You looked up in just enough time to see her marching further into her room.

"How would you know?!" Kenny asked.

"WHAT I KNOW?!" Lilly snarled. "I know you're not above murder! I know that someone has been STEALING our supplies – that's right," She looked to you. "STEALING. And I know that the list of people I can trust her gets SMALLER. EVERY. DAY." She spun around and crossed her arms, facing away from everyone. "Now everybody GET OUT."

You were all quick to move... and the door was slammed behind you. The people that had heard Lilly's rant gathered in a small circle just beside the RV. You all looked to each other with a confused or irritated gaze. You couldn't see Cry's face... and this was one of the moments where you desperately wished you could.

"Happy, Kenny?" Cry asked the redneck.

"My family is alive, and that RV is runnin'." He gestured to the RV. "You're God-damned right, I am."

"Everyone is under great stress..." Katjaa, who had come to stand next to Kenny's side, spoke. She looked around the group.

"Well, she's right about one thing. This ain't getting any easier." Kenny mumbled.

Kenny and Katjaa turned and walked away, leaving you, Cry, and a few other people where they stood. You both looked to each other, before Felix''s voice chimed in from behind you two.

"Oof. Things are going to shit, man."

You and Cry turned to the blonde Swede, who had traded places on watch. Ben was now sitting atop the RV with a rifle in his hand. You weren't sure how comfortable you were with letting an insecure teenager handle a gun.

"You could say that." Cry mumbled in response to his friend.

"[Your Name]," Felix turned to you. "Don't fuckin' listen to Lilly, alright? I think you did what the group needed, and you're usually doing that anyway. Helping everyone. It's appreciated."

You offered a small smile. "Thanks."

"Also, it's probably worth following up with Lilly about what she was saying with missing supplies," Felix continued. "With her wound up the way she is, I don't want to see her _paranoid..._"

"No question." You replied.

"Oh, and Cry..." Felix turned to the Masked-Man. "I'd like to talk to you, when you've got a minute. Um... alone."

"We can talk now," Cry agreed. He pulled away from you, before patting your shoulder. "I'll be back soon." He told you. You slowly nodded, then blushed as he leaned down and kissed your cheek. You watched as he and Felix walked up the stairs together and went to the balcony to talk alone. You rubbed your cheek, reimagining his lips against your hot skin. You lightly smiled... before turning and making your way toward Lilly's room. Her door was cracked open... so you decided to let yourself in. You found her sitting on her bed, elbows rested against her knees, her head in her hands. As you approached, she looked up to you, and softly sighed.

"I'm sorry."

You turned around and spotted a pulled-out chair beside a small table. You plopped yourself down it in, before resting one arm against the chair's back, and one against the table. You looked back to your company.

"You don't have to apologize." You told her.

"Did you come here to give me hell, or to coddle me?" She asked. You shook your head.

"I wanted to follow up on what you said about stolen supplies." You spoke again. She blinked, her sorrowful look slowly beginning to fade away.

"Do _you_ know what's going on?" She asked.

"I don't." You replied. "I just heard you mention it."

Lilly sighed. "And you came in here to confess?" She asked.

Your eyes widened. You then frowned. "I'm not stealing shit!" You told her. "I came here to help."

Lilly slowly nodded. "There's a traitor." She informed. "Somebody. One of us – out THERE." She pointed beyond her bedroom door. "He or she or _they_ have been taking things."

You had to refuse the urge to scoff. "Really?" You asked. "Who? What evidence do you have?"

"Yes, really." Lilly said. She hesitated... then took her gaze away from you and sighed. "I don't have shit." She admitted. "I just know."

"Lilly..." You frowned.

"That's all." She told me. "The count's off with the good stuff. Morphine, Oxy, Antibiotics... fuck, anything with opium in it."

"I've seen the count," You told her. "And it's fine!"

"I keep my own." Lilly admitted. "That one," She gestured. "Is getting messed with." She paused. "I'm a fucking mess right now, but I'm not stupid. I know what happens if I start a witch hunt."

You frowned. "So you want _me_ to start one."

"I want you to poke around." Lilly grumbled. You sighed. The last time people began poking around, they ended up being thrown into a meat-locker.

"What's there to go on?" You asked.

Lilly reached under her bed and shuffled around for a sec, before pulling out a broken, heavy-duty flashlight. She gave it to you... and you gently took it into your hands and began looking over it.

"I found this in the garbage." She said.

"Hmm." You mumbled.

"We don't toss out garbage, we fix it." Lilly continued. "You only throw away something like that, if you were using it when you weren't supposed to.

You nodded. "Okay, I'll poke around a little bit."

Lilly nodded back, looking a little relieved. "Thank you. If you don't find anything, I'm just going to _assume_ it's you."

_Jesus Christ. _You thought. You got out of your seat and left the room, shutting the door behind you. Once outside, you leaned against the door and sighed, holding the flashlight in your hand. Geeze, you hated-

"A mystery!" A small voice came from your right. You jumped, eyes widening. You looked down, your [eye color] orbs landing upon Duck's curious figure. He watched you, a bewildered expression on his face. His eyes shined. You frowned.

"Jesus, Duck."

"I'm sorry!" Duck mumbled. "I... heard you guys talking..."

You sighed, a small smile replacing your frown. "You need to unhear all of that." You told him. You began to turn and walk away, but he trotted after you moments later.

"Can I help?" He asked. You halted and turned to him, raising an eyebrow. He gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up. You rolled your eyes.

"What did I just say?" You asked.

"You're the greatest detective, and I can be Dick Grayson! Your ward!" Duck grinned. Amusement broke out all over your face. You couldn't stop yourself from chuckling. You were a huge Batman fan. "That's Robin," Duck added.

You grinned. "I know who that is!" You told him. You finally sighed. "You can be Robin. You can help." You leaned in. "But don't tell anybody."

"Secrecy!" Duck grinned, voice quiet. He paused, then spoke normally again. "Uhh... what do I do?"

You laughed again. Slowly, you untied the red parka from around your waist and handed it to him.

"You can take that to Cry, first. Tell him I got it at the Drug-Store." You instructed. Duck nodded and took the parka, before tilting his head to the side in question. You thought for a moment, then continued. "Then go look around, and report back to me if you find anything weird."

"I'm on the case!" Duck agreed. He then took off in Cry's direction. You watched him go, then chuckled again. When he wasn't being annoying, Duck was actually a great kid. Kenny was lucky to have him. ...But not as lucky as you were to have Clementine.

_Cry's P.O.V._

We made our way up the stairs, and onto the balcony. Felix took his spot... where he usually stood, arms crossed and leaning against the wooden balcony. I took my place beside him and took the same position, and looked out into the camp. I watched as [Your Name]'s figure disappeared into Lilly's room, shutting the door safely behind. After that, Duck made his way over and crouched down, most likely eaves-dropping. I rolled my eyes. He so matched the definition of a little kid.

"What I wanted to say, was..." Felix started. He paused, before looking up to me. I looked back. His expression was completely serious. "I've been thinking a lot about your... situation."

I blinked, sending the blonde a curious glance, and then shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, but didn't move from my post. I rose an eyebrow, though he couldn't see it.

"Uhm... Really?"

Felix huffed, then looked toward me out of the corners of his eyes. "You're a killer, bro. And you know it."

My eyes widened and I lightly jumped, backing away from where I had stood.

"Jesus, Felix!" I snapped. I looked around, hoping no one heard him, before lowering my tone to a whisper, "What's wrong with you?"

He rose up off of the balcony and turned to me, sighing. "Lilly knows, man, and you're dangerously close to being on her shit list. You gotta listen, bro. Tell the group about what you did. Things are gonna go a lot smoother if they calmly hear it from you than from a raging phsyco bitch." Felix paused, his eyes flicking to [Your Name]'s figure, who was walking toward the RV. He then continued. "Especially [Your Name]. You straight up lied to her the first time you met her, man."

I felt guilt swell up inside me. Felix was only telling the truth. "I... I know," I sighed darkly, and looked down at my hands. "I know. I lied to her about finding her in the woods. I didn't tell her I was with her during the crash. And she... doesn't remember." When I'd woken up the day everything went to shit, I wasn't in a random spot in the woods. I was in a car, trapped with some random girl. I couldn't remember much. I remembered that I had taken the life of a man before, and then was shoved into a police-car beside a pretty girl, but I didn't remember crashing. I don't even remember... _why_ I murdered who I murdered. It's a big blur.

When I'd woken and come to my senses, I climbed out of the car and pulled the girl out with me. I then walked to the dead officer and unlocked the cuffs that were around my wrists, before going to her side. When she'd woken, I'd told her that she was in the car with the officer... and I had just walked up and found her. It was a lie. It was bullshit. I didn't know who she was, or what she could do to destroy my life. I wasn't aware of the Zombie Apocalypse going on. And now, I know it was the biggest mistake I've ever made. It's been three months since we've met. I've... I've fallen in love with her... and I haven't told her yet.

"Not because they deserve to know-... well... except for [Your Name]... and not because you're a bad man," Felix continued. "I think the opposite of that, dude. People need to know because we're all really on edge at the moment, and I don't see Lilly talking about you without thinking it's the next thing she's gonna say. We both know that she knows."

He took several steps closer to me, but I didn't move. I wasn't really sure _what_ to do at that moment, to be honest. I only watched as he stepped closer as I tried to find something to say.

"You don't have to tell everyone," He continued. "But you should at least tell the people you trust... take the opportunity, while you have it."

"You're probably right." I spoke at last.

"Of 'course I'm 'probably right'. I'm always right. I'm fabulous." Felix scoffed sarcastically. "Anyway, people might be pissed. Telling them might cause some trouble, but it's a far better from what'll happen, if they don't hear it from you."

I sighed. "Yeah."

"So you'll do it, then?" Felix asked. I nodded.

"I'll let people know," I agreed. "You're totally right."

"Good." Felix nodded. "I think it's a good way to go." He then smiled, and pat me on the shoulder. I tensed. "You'll be glad you did it." He told me. He then turned and walked off, and into his room, shutting the door behind him.

I watched him go... before looking to the parking-lot of the motel again. People went on with their lives. I watched [Your Name] and Duck talked outside Lilly's room. Suddenly, she started laughing, and then gave her a red jacket that was around her waist. Duck nodded, then looked to me.

I watched with interest as he began to make his way toward me, leaving [Your Name] alone to do whatever she was going to do. I quickly made my way down the stairs and began walking, watching Duck as he approached. When he arrived, he tossed the jacket to me. I caught it, then eyed Duck curiously. He smiled.

"[Your Name] wanted me to give that to you." He said. "She says it's from the Drug-Store." Then, he took off running in a different direction. I gave an amused smile to him, before curiously looking down at the jacket. It felt warm... and that was something I needed right now. I pulled the jacket over my arms and zipped it up, and sighed as my cold skin began to feel relief.

I shoved my hands into the pockets... and then felt something. I pulled it out, only to reveal it being a small note. I blinked and opened it up, to find a cute little sketch of the Sup-Guy, with a heart beside him. The 'Sup-Guy was smiling. I grinned, chuckling softly, before folding the paper back up and sticking it back into my pocket. I knew one thing was for sure.

I wasn't getting my green jacket back anytime soon.

OoOoOoO

I watched the girl as she worked. She looked concentrated, carefully rubbing a gray crayon over a piece of paper, with a leaf under it. This had brought back so many memories. I used to do the same thing when I was in the first or second grade. They were one of my favorite things to do.

I smiled and sat down at the small kid-table across from Clementine, and greeted her. She looked up to me with those cute golden eyes and greeted me back, a wide smile spreading across her face. I gestured to the leaf-rubbing.

"Whatcha workin' on there, Clem?" I asked. Her smile widened even further.

"It's a leaf-rubbing!" Clementine replied. "My teacher – Ms. Moore – showed us how to make them when we went to the Botanical Garden, one time."

"That's really something!" I chuckled. Clementine grinned.

"I'll make one for you, too!" She promised. I smiled.

"Do you like it here, Clementine?"

Clementine paused, and thought for a moment... and then slowly nodded. "I don't... _like_ it here."

"Do you wanna leave?" I asked her. She looked confused.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Somewhere else." I sighed.

She shrugged. "I don't know. ...Maybe if I knew where?"

"Yeah, that'd probably be a good thing to know." I agreed. My expression faltered... and I sighed. I rested my elbows against the table.

"Clementine, look, uh... I gotta tell you something."

Clementine blinked. "What happened?"

I sighed. "The day you and I met, [Your Name] was in a car accident."

Clementine nodded. "I remember. Her leg was bleeding."

I sighed again... then looked away... then back to her. "Before the car accident happened, I was in the car with her." I told her. "We were on our way to prison."

Clementine's eyes widened, and she looked away, unsure of what to think or say. I sighed. I knew this was hard for her to hear... it was hard for me to admit out loud.

"I needed to tell you now," I told her. "because I don't want you to hear it any other way."

Clementine finally lifted her gaze to meet mine, and nodded. "Okay..." She mumbled. Her tone was unsure, but steady. I refused the urge to bite my lip from nervousness.

"Do you have anything to say?" I asked.

"I don't think so." Clementine said quickly. I nodded.

"You can go on back to your things." I told her. She slowly nodded.

I stood up and moved away from her table, and trotted out to the middle of the motor-inn's parking lot again. I looked around, tilting my head left and right as I tried to spot someone else that needed to know. Eventually, my eyes landed on Kenny and Katjaa, who seemed to be having some sort of argument on the couch. Kenny looked a little irritated, and Katjaa didn't seem very happy either. Curious, I made my way over to them, and when I arrived, they both looked up to me. I smiled innocently down at them.

"Hey you two!" I said. "How you doin'?"

"We're okay..." Katjaa mumbled. I wasn't convinced, and Kenny must have noticed, because he added,

"We're just having a little spat."

Katjaa sighed, and rolled her eyes. "We all carry guns now, and..." She gestured to the hand-gun sitting between her and Kenny. "I don't like it."

Kenny scoffed and looked to his wife. "It's the way it's gotta be." He spoke strongly.

"I know..." Katjaa replied. "But I'm not getting used to it." She then turned to me. "I-I'm sorry... how are you, Cry?"

I shrugged. "Well, I need to talk to you guys about something..." I paused. "It's... kind of important."

"Oh no," Katjaa assumed the worst, like Clementine. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, what's the matter, buddy?" Kenny asked, looking concerned.

I shook my head. "It's about something that happened a long time ago."

The two of them blinked, and listened, waiting for me to continue. I awkwardly shifted from one foot to another, before looking to the balcony. Felix had reappeared, taking on his usual position against the wood. He smiled to me as I looked up to him, and nodded. I sighed, and looked back down to Katjaa and Kenny.

"Erm... however, it's serious."

"Ugh." Kenny groaned. "What'd the she-devil do to y-"

"Shut up, man." I snapped, but I couldn't hide the corners of my lips lightly tugging upward at the comment. The small smile vanished as quick as it came, though. Kenny looked even more concerned now.

"I was on my way to prison three months ago." I told them. Katjaa's eyes widened... and Kenny gasped.

"Oh, God..." Katjaa mumbled.

I bit my lip and sighed. "[Your Name] was in the car with me on the way there."

Kenny processed what I said in his mind, and I knew the confusion was coming before he even displayed it. He rose an eyebrow curiously.

"Didn't you say you _found_ [Your Name] in a police car when you guys met?"

I nodded. "Yes, but... I... I lied."

Katjaa went completely quiet, allowing her husband to continue. He looked away for a moment as he thought, then back up to me. "So, she lied to us, too?"

I lightly put my hands up and shook my head. "N-No. When I woke up, she was unconscious. I had to pull her out, uncuff myself, and then wake her up. She thinks I found her after I woke up in a different part of the forest."

Kenny slowly nodded. "You gonna tell her?" He asked. I nodded. He sighed, and looked to his wife, but Katjaa was looking elsewhere, clearly not pleased. He then looked back to me.

"You guys didn't go for touching kids, was it?" He asked.

My eyes widened. "What? No! C-Come on, man!"

"W-What?!" Kenny asked, face going red from embarrassment. Mine was beginning to go red, too. "I gotta ask!" He defended. I sighed.

"No. I killed a guy in a fight. And I don't know what [Your Name] was there for. It was a _two-crimes-in-one-car_ kind of deal."

"Hmm." Kenny mumbled. "I didn't know they did stuff like that, carrying two people at once from two different circumstances. Though, they musta been a real piece of shit if you had to haul off and kill 'im."

"So, we're straight, then?" I asked. Kenny hesitated, and then looked around, gesturing to the parking-lot.

"Cry, look at this place." He started. "Look at everything this mess has gotten us into. I'm sorry you went through. Yeah, we're..." He looked me up and down, before making air-quotes. "'Straight.'"

"We are here for you, Cry." Katjaa suddenly chimed in. "Thank you for telling us."

I nodded. "Yeah... I gotta go, now. But thanks for listening."

The two of them nodded back, and I walked away. I looked up toward the RV, and spotted Ben sitting there. I wanted to talk to him, too. He deserved to know. But I sighed and shook my head, and approached the RV. I looked up, and Ben looked down at me nervously. He gave a little wave.

"What's up, Cry?" He asked.

I watched him for several moments, before speaking. "I need to tell you something."

"Sure, Cry." Ben agreed. "Is it about my watch? I'm trying to do a good job."

"You're doing fine." I told him. I paused. "I was... uh... on my way to prison before this."

Ben's eyes widened. "Whoa, seriously?!" He asked. "What were you in for?"

I lightly frowned. A voice in my head was telling me not to tell him. I didn't know why, but... I followed my instrincts.

"That's not important."

"Oh." He mumbled.

"Just... if you hear anything," I told him, "It's probably true, and now you know."

Ben waited a moment, tearing his blue-eyed gaze away from me... before looking back. "Thanks for trusting me, man." He responded. "I... uh... I-"

"Ben." I laughed. Ben rose an eyebrow. I smiled. "Relax."

"Okay." Ben mumbled.

That only left one person. My eyes scanned the area, looking for [Your Name]... but she was no where to be seen. I was wondering where she could have gone. Back into Lilly's room? Maybe. I almost went to check, but decided not to. I didn't want to bug Lilly while she was in her little... mood. Instead, I made my way back to Clementine and sat down beside her. The two of us chatted for a bit, until suddenly, a noise came form the other side of our make-shift fence. Everyone looked to the fence, eyes wide at what we saw.

_Your. P.O.V._

You walked into the bedroom, a frown on your face. Lilly looked up to you and sent you her own frown, and crossed her arms.

"You haven't come up with anything, have you?" She asked, her voice... surprisingly to you... a little worried. You sighed, and revealed the small paper bag full of medicine and food, before handing it over to her.

"I came up with this." You told her. Her eyes widened as she took the bag into her hands. And then, she stood, and looked to me.

"Okay." She said. "We line everybody up. _Everybody. _Somebody is stealing from us. Stealing from this supply is the same as slipping into somebody's room and slitting their throat while they sleep." You cringed at the example. She continued. "You die. What's the difference? What if Clementine or Cry gets sick, a-and we don't have what we need?" Suddenly, she squinted... and then widened her eyes.

_"What the hell is that?!"_


	16. Chapter 16

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**Raid**_

_Your P.O.V._

You turned around, and found yourself peering through the closed blinds of the window. You watched with wide eyes as every single member of your group was shoved upon their knees to the ground, hands behind their heads. Clementine huddled close to Cry. Around them, Bandits held guns to their heads while other bandits looked around, checking for more survivors.

"YOU DON'T FUCKING STEAL FROM US!" One of the bandits screamed.

"Who the fuck are they?!" You quietly asked.

"YA'LL GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE. WE AIN'T FUCKIN' AROUND."

"Shit!" Lilly loudly swore. Your eyes stayed wide... and then you noticed one of the bandits go for Clementine.

Cry went to move, trying to grab Clementine, but another bandit smacked him in the face with the butt of their gun. His mask suddenly went flying onto the ground, and a bandit walked over, smashing it under his heavy boot. All eyes turned to Cry, who watched as his mask shattered into bits. His deep, big blue eyes flashed wide, now revealed for the first time to his group, and his jaw was dropped to form a horrified expression. The barrel of one of the bandit's shotguns was pressed against his skull. He watched Clementine as she was tightly held by another bandit.

"They're gonna start kicking in doors at any second!" Lilly whispered. You forced yourself to tear your gaze away from Cry and looked over your shoulder, and watched as she snatched the rifle up off of the desk and made her way toward the window. You watched her with wide eyes.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing?!" You asked in a hushed tone. She looked to you and frowned, but she wasn't angry.

"Stall them!" She ordered.

"What?!"

"Just keep them talking!" She snapped. "Do whatever it takes to stop him from pulling that trigger again!"

Then, she was gone, disappeared out the window, shutting it behind her. You muttered under your breath and walked through the bedroom door, raising your hands above your head as you calmly made your way over to the bandits.

"Hold it, bitch!" One of the bandits called, pointing a gun in your direction.

"Take is easy..." You mumbled. You let your eyes scan the crowd... and finally found Cry. His features were absolutely beautiful... matching him perfectly. He looked into your [eye color] eyes with his dark blue ones, expression filled with fear and concern. His eyes were wide, and his jaw was lightly dropped. You were almost thrown off by the sight of him... it was still Cry, _your_ Cry, but it was like staring into the face of a person you'd just met for the first time. You had to force yourself to look away from his newly revealed face, and toward the bandit that was stepping toward you.

"Why are you doing this?" You asked the bandit. "Just leave us the fuck alone!"

"Why?!" The bandit asked, and then laughed. "This fuckin' bitch. WHY?! BECAUSE WE GOTTA, THAT'S _WHY_."

You shook your head, and kept your voice calm. "What will it take to reach a deal?"

"About twice as much as you've _been_ giving us." The same bandit snarled.

You nodded, and gave a light smile. "You got it!" You agreed. "Done!"

The bandit slowly lowered his gun, taking you away from his aim. "Is that so?" He asked. "Well, I suppose we oughta hash out some terms, then!"

"I don't like no hash." A man, who had been standing next to the bandit, grumbled. The bandit snarled.

"Man, shut up!" The bandit snapped. "Or I'll-"

Suddenly, gunshot. You watched as the bandit's body toppled to the ground. The other bandits snarled and began firing shots in different directions. The group scattered, everyone going seperate ways. You watched as Doug picked up a gun and shot two of the bandits in the face. He tried to shoot for a third, but then failed when there were no bullets left to shoot. The bandit took the chance to run.

Quickly, you pulled your gun out, flicked the safety off, pointed to the bandit, and pulled the trigger. However, the bandit made it over the fence in just enough times, and whistled. More bandits began to come from the trees and the bushes. You growled, watching as they emerged, cursing under your breath. You looked around, but Cry and Clementine were out of sight.

You took this as a good thing and sprinted across the parking-lot, hiding behind the RV. You watched as Ben tried to make his way toward you, but a bullet that went whizzing past his face caused him to turn right back around and dive behind a couch. In front of you, Kenny emerged from a room, gun in hand. He looked to you as he got to your side.

"We got to get out of here!" He yelled to you, trying to speak over the sounds of bullets.

"No shit, Sherlock!" You yelled back. He frowned.

"Get those bastards!" He gestured to the bandits. He suddenly thrusted his rifle into your hands and ran through the RV door. "Gather our people and get them into the RV!"

You leaned against the RV and only barely peeked over with the gun; shooting bandits as their faces popped up from behind couches or the fence. Once they were all clear, you called for Ben and Doug. The two of them raced to you. Doug was quick to get into the RV, but Ben hesitated turning to you.

"Man, you saved our asses!" He gasped. You rolled your eyes.

"Yeah, you're welcome," You snapped. "Now get in!"

Ben did as he was told and climbed into the RV. You heard it start up, the engine loudly roaring. You moved to the other side, still behind the large vehicle, and leaned against it, aiming to shoot more bandits.

Once you did this, you watched as Cry and Clementine emerged from their hiding spot, Katjaa and Duck behind them. Cry and Clementine sprinted over to you. You gave a relieved smile toward Clementine, and she to you, and watched as she got into the RV. You then looked to Cry... looking to his face. In his hands, he held the two pieces of his broken mask. You looked up into his eyes. They were beautiful. Dark blue and amazing.

You lightly smiled, wanting to comment on them, but then quickly stopped smiling. Now was not the time, and you both knew it. Instead, you turned your head toward the blood-curtling scream. Duck and Katjaa were flat against the ground, a walker hovering over them. Your eyes widened. Walkers were getting inside, now?!

You took a couple steps forward, raising your gun and shooting the walker square in the head. It grunted and fell limp against Katjaa and Duck.

"Oh, Christ!"

You watched as Kenny sprinted past you, leaving the RV running on it's own as he made his way to his family. He pulled Duck into his arms, and Katjaa ran beside him as the three made their way back toward the RV. You looked up toward the balcony, watching Lilly as she sniped in her spot. You called up to her.

"Lilly, let's go!"

"Screw her!" Kenny called, before climbing into the RV. "Let her stay!"

You gave a worried look and turned to Cry, who had the same expression (you were SO happy you could see the expressions he gave, now). He shook his head and grabbed your wrist, looking into your eyes.

"We have to go!" He told you. After a moment, you nodded, and let him pull you into the RV. When you guys stepped inside, Cry went to Clementine, but you went to the window. You peered through the glass, to the home that your group had created... now destroyed.

"God damn it!" The Swedish blonde cursed beside you. "Fuck..."

Suddenly, the RV lunged forward, driving. You heard one last person sprint into the RV before shutting the door. The sudden movement caused you to gasp, and you tripped, and fell backward. At the last second, you fell into a pair of strong arms. You looked up to Cry, who was looking down at you with concern.

"You okay?" He asked.

You couldn't get over the fact that you were able to see his eyes now. You slowly nodded.

"Are you?" You asked.

He frowned, slowly nodding, and letting you get to your feet. He then pointed to his broken mask, which Clementine was holding.

"Well, my fucking mask is broken, but other than that, I'm fine. And Clementine is, too."

You nodded, and then... threw your arms around Cry's neck. He stiffened, but then softened as he noticed you hug him especially tightly. He hugged you with just as much force.

Cry sighed. "When you appeared, I thought they'd kill you for trying to negotiate plans... I thought they'd know something was up. I'd thought I was going to loose you."

You smiled, and pulled away. "But we made it out." You whispered. "Together. You, Clementine, and I are safe."

Cry smiled back, his blue eyes shining. "We are." He mumbled.

Suddenly, you tuned in to all the voices talking at once.

"I'm sorry!" Gasped Ben.

"Everything's fine, Ben." Doug mumbled.

"Everything's NOT fine!" Lilly snapped. "We need to figure out _why_ this happened."

You pulled away from Cry, and Cry from you, and stared at the scene that was going on. Ben and Doug were sitting on the couch, Lilly standing only an inch or two away from them.

"We just lost everything." Lilly mumbled.

"Well, we're lucky as shit to have this RV!" Kenny piped up from the front.

"Somebody in here caused this." Lilly spoke after Kenny.

"Settle down back there!" Kenny growled. "The bandits have had our number for weeks!"

"This is different." Lilly spoke darkly. "Somebody was working with them. Whoever it was was slipping them our food and meds. They didn't get their last package, so they attacked."

"Calm down, back there!" Kenny called again. "That's nuts."

"[Your Name] found a bag of supplies out there, hidden outside the wall." Lilly informed. Almost everyone turned to stare at you. You swallowed, nervousness building inside you.

"It's true." You confirmed.

"So... Doug, is there something you want to say?"

Doug's eyes widened, and then he frowned. "I didn't take anything."

"Do we have to get it out of you, then?" Lilly threatened.

"Back off, Lilly." Doug mumbled.

"You're in no position to make demands." Lilly growled.

"Why Doug?" You asked. "Doug's trustworthy! He's not a traitor, Lilly!"

"Thanks, [Your Name]." Doug mumbled again.

"He can fight his own battles." Lilly grumbled. She then turned to you and squinted, lightly raising her voice. "Unless there's something going on here that implicates you both."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Doug scoffed.

"Uh, look, uh..." Ben started up. "Maybe we should... like, vote, or... something like that."

"Vote?" Lilly asked. "What?"

"Lilly stop waving the finger at everybody!" Cry snapped. "There's something going on, and we can get to the bottom of it, if we keep our heads."

"Cry, I _know_ what we found!" Lilly snapped back.

"Nobody was stealing _anything_!" Ben chimed in again.

Lilly glared, then leaned into Ben and Doug's faces. "Was it _both of you_?" She asked.

"What?!" Ben gasped.

"I've seen you two together!" Lilly growled. "Was. It. Both of you?!"

"L-Look, just let me out!" Ben sighed. "I didn't do it, but I don't like this. I don't like where it's headed!"

"Look me in the eyes..." Lilly growled. "And tell me you didn't have anything to do with it."

"Lilly, lay off of him." You interrupted. Ben looked afraid.

"I-"

"SHIT!" Kenny suddenly gasped. The RV jolted as it hit something.

"What's going on up there?" Lilly called.

"I hit somethin'!" Kenny growled. "We gotta stop!"

"Alright, well... we can deal with this now, then." Lilly looked slightly pleased as she spoke. The RV rolled to a halt. Cry looked up.

"Kenny, is it safe?" He called.

"Should be." Kenny called back.

"Everybody out." Lilly snarled, making her way toward the door.

"Lilly..." You mumbled. She glared at you.

"_Out_." She repeated. You slowly nodded, and after she slipped out of the RV, you followed. Cry was behind you, and then Clementine. Everyone filed out of the RV and stood in a circle. Kenny went to go deal with the whatever was hit... and Katjaa and Duck stayed in the car.

Lilly had gone to check under the RV, and then mumbled something to Kenny, before turning and walking back to the make-shift circle.

"You know what? We shouldn't kick you out." Lilly said to Ben and Doug. "We should hear what everybody thinks."

"I think you should chill out!" Ben snapped.

"I'm not doing this." You growled.

"Neither am I." Cry was on the other side of the circle, beside Clementine as he spoke. He looked to you, and you looked back, grateful. Lilly, however, disagreed.

"Come on, [Your Name]." She sighed. "You're the one who found them. You can't just abstain."

"Fuck all that!" You snapped. "This is nuts! We're out here on the side of the road!"

"Okay, fine then." Lilly sighed, crossing her arms. She looked toward the front of the RV. "Kenny?"  
"I-I don't know!" Kenny sounded irritated. "Just... fuck! Stop, would ya?!"

"Well, your vote counts for you _and_ Katjaa!"

"We don't need all these votes!" Ben yelled. "What can I do for you to trust me?! I'll do anything!"

"Stop panicking, Ben!" You snapped. He looked to you.

"Yeah, seriously!" Cry chimed in. He looked to Ben. "You need to slow down and just BREATHE."

"Do we need any more evidence than THIS?" Lilly asked, gesturing to Ben.

"Fuck evidence!" You snarled back. "Stop treating him like this!"

She ignored your yelling and turned to Kenny. "Kenny, what's it gonna be?" She called.

The redneck was still dealing with the trapped walker under the car.

"Just give me a damn minute!" Came the reply.

"Ben, you have until that walker is dealt with to tell me it was Doug and not YOU." Lilly growled.

"Stop this!" You snapped to Lilly again. "You're torturing him!"

"Just lay off, Lilly!" Cry groaned.

"I can't, Cry!" She snarled back. "You know I can't!"

"Thank you, Cry!" You mumbled. "Lilly, please, listen to him."

"Please, don't kick me out of the group!" Ben pleaded.

"We won't." Cry said calmly.

"Tell me..." Lilly growled to Ben. "NOW."

"Please, let's just get back in the RV." Ben pleaded again.

"That's not happening-"

"YOU KNOW WHAT?!" You finally fucking snapped. Everyone turned to you, eyes wide. You marched up to Lilly and shoved her chest, then pointed a finger at her. "I am FED UP with your bullshit, Lilly!" You snarled. "You think you're some tough bitch, don't you?! Like nothing can hurt you! But you're just a _scared little girl!_" You leaned into her face and growled. "Get the fuck over it. Take a page from Cry's book and start helping somebody for once!"

Lilly dangerously glared at you. You backed away, and crossed your arms, glaring at her. You didn't look away. Not for one second. No way you were going to let her win this. ...You even stood there and watched as she reached for... for uh...

Uh oh.

"Okay, what the fuck's the problem?" Kenny's voice sounded closer. You watched with wide eyes as Lilly pulled her gun from her belt, aimed it at you, and pulled the trigger. You screamed, and fell backward as a sudden body slammed into yours. You fell to the ground, then heard another body slump over. And then a thud.

"Drop it."

You looked up, and saw Doug's dead, bloody body on the ground. Lilly's gun was at her feet, and Cry had her pinned against the RV, roughly keeping her hands in once place. You stared with wide eyes, fear and shock running through you. Felix was at your side in a moment, helping you to your feet. Cry looked pissed... he looked more angry than anyone you'd ever seen before. He was fuming, taking deep breaths with rage.

"Kenny, what's happening?!" Katjaa called.

"Keep Duck away from the windows!" Kenny called back. He knelt beside Doug's dead body. "Jesus Christ!" After a moment, he stood up and moved to Cry.

"Get in!" He snapped. "We're leaving this crazy bitch!"

"Cry... I... I..." Lilly gasped out. Cry growled, voice lower than you've ever heard it before. Felix gently took you and slid you into the RV. Everyone else followed... until it was only Cry and Lilly outside. Everyone was quiet. Kenny got into the RV and started it up. You sat on the couch, Felix's hand on your back. Your whole body shook. And then, you heard it. You heard Cry's voice speak to Lilly.

_"You're not coming with us."_


	17. Chapter 17

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**If You're Fancy**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

It'd only been a couple hours after we'd left Lilly on the side of the road, that I realized [Your Name] had fallen asleep. There were tear stains on her cheeks and circles under her eyes... clear evidence that she had been crying. Her hands were tightly clasped together, not daring to let go. She'd fallen asleep beside me, her head resting against my shoulder. I'd had my arm around her for comfort, and hadn't let the other side of her, Felix sat. He'd gently patted her leg for the first hour, but by the second, he'd also fallen asleep.

"Cry, a word, please?"

Katjaa's soft and smooth German voice called from the front of the RV. Felix had stirred at the voice, but didn't fully respond. [Your Name] remained asleep. I sighed and gave her a light squeeze, before gently laying her against Felix's shoulder. I rose to my feet, and looked down to Clementine.

She was awake, but she didn't seem very happy. She wasn't crying, but I knew that the previous events had scarred her. She looked to be with a doubtful gaze, before shaking her head and looking away. I sent her a sympathetic look before making my way toward Katjaa and Kenny. When I'd reached the front, I noticed how Kenny held on so tightly to the steering-wheel, his knuckles were white. Katjaa looked miserable... and Duck was asleep.

"What's going on, Kat?" I asked her. She hesitated in answering, looking between me and Duck as she tried to gather the courage to speak. It wasn't long before she did... her gaze cast toward the windshield. However, she didn't reply with words. Instead, she reached forward and gently took hold of Duck's side, before pulling up his shirt, and revealing a bloody human bite.

My eyes slowly widened, and my breath hitched. Realization sunk into my mind. I gave a tired gaze to the bite. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

"What the fuck..." I whispered.

"Happened during the raid," Kenny's voice was a hushed whisper.

"So what's the plan?" I whispered, looking between the two parents. "We've never had a bite victim in the group before."

"I'm going to keep an eye on him, and see what I can do..." Katjaa mumbled. Her blue eyes, which were usually bright, were dim. "From a... medical perspective."

"We'll keep the same plan until something changes." Kenny added. "East."

I lightly sighed. "Guys-"

"What else is there to do?!" Katjaa suddenly snapped. I backed off. I expected her to growl... but she didn't. She only frowned. "We just thought you and [Your Name] should know."

Kenny looked away from the road, and lifted his gaze to meet mine. They were full of sorrow, and looked miserable.

"We need to stay honest with each other." He mentioned. He looked back toward the road again, and lightly swerved as he avoided the edge of the road. Katjaa grumbled.

"Anyway, if you could tell [Your Name] and Clementine, we would appreciate it."

I slowly nodded to them, and then backed away from the front of the RV. I turned around, my eyes moving to Clementine. She was looking even more sleepy, now... as if she was going to fall asleep where she sat. I slowly approached her and sat down. On the other side, Felix and [Your Name] still remained asleep.

As I sat, Clementine looked up to me with a slightly curious gaze. I lifted my arm, and she curled up against my side. I closed my arm on her back and held her against me. She lay her tiny head on my chest, and gave a small yawn. It was silent between us for a while... but I knew I had to speak up, soon. I didn't want her to fall asleep, so I would have to wait until morning to tell her... like [Your Name].

"Duck's bitten..." I mumbled at last. Clementine's body tensed under me.

"Huh?"

"He got bit by a walker trying to escape the motel..." I looked down at her, but she hadn't looked back up to me. I couldn't see her face, and... for some reason... felt a pang of irritation. I longed to see her eyes. Her expression. ...Is that how people felt around me before my mask got broken?

"I... don't feel good..." Clementine mumbled. I sighed. Neither did I. "What about Doug?" She asked.

"Gone..." I told her, lightly biting my lip. Hurt swelled inside me. "But won't come back."

"Because he was shot in the head." Clementine muttered. I nodded.

"That's right. And even if he hadn't been... I would have made sure he didn't turn into those things." I paused, and then added, "It's horrible."

"Yeah, it is..." Clementine agreed.

There was a long period of silence between us. The RV kept moving. Everyone was quiet. Toward the back, Ben was seated at a table, unmoving... spaced out, mind somewhere else. Clementine and I sat for several moments huddled together like this. Then, I slowly smiled.

"I'm glad I have you, Clementine." I whispered.

Clementine looked up to me with a smile of her own. "Me too," She said. "And [Your Name]." She paused. "I heard you two outside my tree-house that day... and thought about dropping a hammer on your heads."

I gave an amused, soft chuckle. "What? Why?" I asked. I could hear the smile in Clem's voice.

"In case you were up to no good." She replied. "Before you two, there was this other guy – yelling, and trying to get into my house. He wanted to take the TV, and tried to break the glass door with a rock." She paused. "Then some walkers came, and scared him away."

I thought for a moment, processing the image in my head. Then, I blinked. Confused.

"But the door was unlocked..." I told her. I heard her snort with laughter.

"He was dumb." She told me. My smile spread wider. The two of us sat in another fit of silence again, but this silence was longer. I continued to tilt my head left and right as I looked around the RV. Having my mask off for the first time in a while felt nice. There wasn't something crowding my face, and keeping it hot. I continued to stare... before my gaze landed on the RV's faucet.

The faucet was dripping... drop after drop of water slowly falling from it, making a plopping sound as it hit the bottom of the sink. Suddenly, Clementine groaned beside me. I rose an eyebrow and looked down to her. Had she fallen asleep? Was she dreaming? It only caused me to smile more. I'd never known Clementine as someone who slee-

She popped out of my grasp, white, soulless eyes wide and watching me. Her face was pale and rotting, her teeth yellow, and ready to tear at my flesh. I screamed, my eyes widening, my stomach knotting with fear. I scooted away, but she latched onto me, trying to sink her hands into my neck. I grabbed her hands and tried to keep her away, but her grip was too strong. She slipped forward, and right as her teeth aimed to sink into my neck...

_"Cry... wake up..."_

_Your P.O.V._

You watched as Cry fidgeted on the couch, obviously dreaming. When you'd woken that morning, you'd noticed you were leaning against Felix's shoulder. The blonde was still asleep, obviously very tired. Cry had moved over to sit beside Clementine, and the two had cuddled together and fallen asleep. But it was morning now, and _you personally_ needed Cry to be awake.

You don't know why, but... you felt safer when he was conscious. You wanted him to get his rest, but you couldn't stop yourself from walking to him and gently prodding his arm with your hand. You'd gently called to him, and when you did, his eyes flashed open, wide and full of fear. His chest was heaving out and in with deep breaths. As he stared at you, his mind began to register who you were. He then quickly looked down to Clementine, to discover her still curled up and sleeping beside him.

He stared at her for a moment, before taking in a relieved sigh, and leaning back against the couch. You tilted your head to the side and raised an eyebrow in a curious gesture.

"You okay?"

He brought his dark-blue-eyed gaze up to you, and stared into your [eye color] eyes. He was quiet for a moment... taking in your features as he struggled to keep himself awake. Then, he nodded, and gave a small and reassuring, yet tired smile.

"I'm fine." He replied, tone soft. "Just had a bad dream, is all."

"There's somethin' up ahead." Kenny's voice suddenly came from the front of the RV. You turned and lifted your gaze to meet him, though his eyes remained on the road. In the passenger's seat, Katjaa held Duck in her arms, gently caressing and stroking his arm and hair. You wondered what the matter was... seeing how Duck's face looked a little pale.

You'd looked back to Cry, who was focused on Duck as well, but... his expression was beyond upset. Slowly, and gently, he slid himself out of Clementine's grasp, laying her against the couch, before standing up and walking over to the front of the RV. You joined his side, and the two of you stared out the window. You noticed a giant machine blocking the way... and it didn't take you long to realize that it was a _God-damned Train._

"Dammit. The road's blocked." Kenny grumbled. He sighed. "Now we gotta deal with this."

The RV quickly rolled to a stop, pulling over out of the road for a moment. Kenny turned the key in the ignition, and the vehicle shut down. You turned around, and Cry was quick to join you as you made your way outside the RV. You trotted up to the train, looking up to it with an expression of awe and wonder. By the sound of doors opening and closing, you knew Ben and Kenny were climbing out of the RV as well.

"Is there any way to get around it?" Ben asked.

Kenny huffed. "Doesn't look like it. On foot, maybe, but we can't really afford to do that right now."

"This... seems like a safe area." Cry chimed in, standing only a little ways away from you. He looked to you guys and smiled, eyes shining. "All this brush will keep anything from creepin' up on us."

To the sound of another door opening and shutting, you turned around. Clementine had gotten out with a big smile on her face, but her good mood darkened as Katjaa assisted Duck out of the car, and onto his feet. The kid was hunched over, looking pale and green in the face at the same time. He held onto his side, that part of the shirt bloody, and covered with a couple holes. You gave a look of concern and looked to Cry, who looked to you with a _I'll-Explain-It-Later_ look. You shrugged back at him.

"Why don't you and I go look around?"

The offer came from Ben, but he wasn't talking to you. The tall teen had trotted up to Cry. Cry blinked, debating the offer in his mind. Then, he nodded.

"Yeah," He decided. "Everyone else relax." He then turned to Clementine, Felix and you. The little girl had made her way to your side, and Felix right next to her. He was the last to get out of the RV. Cry smiled at the three of you. "Why don't the three of you stay with Kenny and Katjaa for a bit?"

You gave him a doubtful look, knowing that he knew that you wanted to help out. But he gave you a look that pretty much told you that you weren't going to win the silent argument going between you two. Finally, you gave in and nodded, reaching forward and giving him a small hug.

"Be careful while you're looking around." You whispered into his ear. You felt him hug you slightly tighter.

"I will." He mumbled.

He tried to pull away, but you kept him there a moment longer, and whispered again.

"And Cry?" He hummed in question. You smiled. "I like being able to see your face. Keep the mask off."

Cry blushed and chuckled, his hot breath brushing against your ear. He rubbed your back for only a moment before pulling the two of you apart. He slipped a finger under your chin and tilted your head up to meet his gaze. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on your nose.

"Sure thing, Princess."

He then disappeared into the train, Ben following close behind. A scarlet blush had covered your warm cheeks. You held your arm and turned around. Felix and Clementine were both smirking at you. You rolled your eyes and shook your heads at them, before gazing past. Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck had made their way to a tiny clearing, where they sat on logs and softly chatted with one another. The three of you approached the three of them and took your own spots upon the logs, the three of you claiming one that hadn't been taken.

For a while, the six of you talked together, discussing what the plan was, and what was going to happen next. Eventually, Felix had risen up and said he was going to go check on Ben and Cry. As he did, Katjaa requested water from a dining cart or some such. Felix promised he'd look for some and took off into the train. Then the five of you continued talking for a while... until you finally noticed a slightly abnormal bush toward the brush just a little ways away from it. You'd stared, frowning as you tried to see what it was. Then, you gasped, and smiled.

"Roses!"

Clementine looked up to you and tilted her head to the side, confused. She then looked to where you were looking, and gasped as she saw the roses. A smile broke out onto her face, and the two of you stood, racing toward the bush. You knelt down and she excitedly stood beside you. Reaching into the bush, you were cautious of the thorns, and gently picked out a beautiful, big rose. You smiled and smelled it's petals, before handing it to Clementine. Clementine smelled, and then smiled at you. You grinned.

"Just stop to smell the roses," You reminded her. As you did, you took the flower out of her grasp, and began to pick off the thorns. "Because even in the worst of times... it's refreshing to the mind," You then left a little bit of step as you picked off the flower part, then rose your hands and slid it into Clementine's hair, by her ear. "to stop and enjoy the little things."

Clementine continued to smile as she felt the rose in her hair. She then giggled and looked to you.

"Thanks, Mom!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Her smile faded... and she looked toward her feet. I felt a pang of guilt in my heart. I sighed, and pulled her in for a hug. She shook in my hold, almost like she was crying... but she wasn't. She held tightly onto me and gave her own small sigh.

"Sorry..." She mumbled.

You shook your head. "It's fine, honey."

"I keep forgetting about my parents..." She admitted. "I think 'Mom and Dad', and... I... I think of you and Cry..."

You two slowly pulled away from each other. She looked a little upset, but you were right before. She wasn't crying. You gave a weak smile and reached a hand up to caress her cheek, and then pushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"I'll be honest, Clementine..." You whispered. "You, me, and Cry... we're kind of like a family. Cry and I think of you like our daughter..."

"But you're not together..." Clementine mumbled. "You're not married."

"Yes," You agreed. "But we act like we're your parents. We may not hug and kiss each other, but we're... really good friends... and we care about you and love you just as much as actual parents would love their daughter."

"Do you think I'll ever see my parents again?" Clementine asked. You lightly smiled.

"Clementine, we have our own plan." You told her. "We may have Kenny telling us what he wants to do, but _he_ is not _u_s." You made sure she was looking up at you. "When I first met you, I promised that we'd find your parents. Sooner or later, we'll figure out how to get to Savannah and look for them. Okay?"

Clementine nodded, brightly smiling. "Okay."

_Cry's P.O.V._

"That light is blinking."

I stared at the light with a frown. The walker we'd come across just moments ago was at our feet, though it'd already died a long time ago. Now, we were inspecting the driver's cart. In the driver's seat, upon the dash, there were some buttons and levers, but the one that had gotten my attention the quickest was the flashing light. As I mentioned this, Ben's genius idea slipped past his lips.

"Push it!" He told me, enthusiastically. I snorted.

"Push it?" I asked.

"Why not?"

I looked over to Ben, who was grinning behind me. I huffed.

"Are you fuckin' serious?" I asked him.

"Here, look."

"Wait, NO!"

Ben's finger flew forward and jabbed into the blinking button. Suddenly, the sound of air releasing was heard outside the train, and then a click. The dashboard lit up. My eyes widened. I began to laugh, then turned to Ben and gave him a high five.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

"It's just the breaks!" Ben laughed. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, okay. I'll give you that one."

Suddenly, Kenny appeared at the door, giving a winning smile to the two of us. Ben reached forward and snatched up the walker's body, and began to drag it out through the other door. I looked to Kenny and grinned.

"This fucker works?!" Kenny asked.

"Seems like it!" I confirmed.

"I'll be damned!" He gasped. He moved into the driver's seat and began looking at the dash board. "How the hell do we get it movin'?"

"I don't know." I mumbled. I crossed my arms and gestured to Ben. "Ask Mr. Amtrack over here."

"No clue." Ben told us.

"Well, let's look around." Kenny said. "Maybe it'll go somewhere we'd like to be."

Ben walked back in, and as he did, Kenny looked to him. "Man," He told Ben. "If you could help [Your Name] look after Duck and the girls, I'd appreciate it. Right now, I gotta make sense of these controls."

Ben gave a disappointed expression and left the cart, leaving Kenny and I to do as we like. Kenny leaned into the dashboard, studying it closely. I eyed him and watched as his mood continued to improve.

"Man, this could be exactly what we need." Kenny laughed. Suddenly, I noticed a little note-pad hanging by a tack. I took hold of it and pulled it from it's spot. I looked over the title, reading _Start-Up Instructions_. My eyes widened... then dimmed again as I realized that the rest of the page had been torn off. However, there were faint traces on the next page... where the pencil had rubbed against. My mind instantly flashed to Clementine, and her leaf rubbing. I quickly left Kenny's side, and sprinted out of the train.

_Your P.O.V._

As soon as Clementine mentioned Duck's condition, you'd quickly made your way to Katjaa, and sat next to her. You'd noticed Cry sprint out of the train and talk to Clementine, but you were more concerned about the male child at the moment. Katjaa had given you a sad look. You gave her a look of sympathy, before gesturing to her boy.

"How's Duck?" You asked.

"I'm not sure..." Katjaa mumbled, looking down at her son. "Tired, I think. Which could mean a lot of things, right?"

"Yeah." You agreed. "His body's probably trying to fight whatever's in it."

"Exactly..." Katjaa mumbled, but she didn't sound too convinced.

Suddenly, quick footsteps came from in front of you. You looked up, and watched a blonde Swede approach. He was smiling softly, though you knew that Duck's condition made his mood the exact opposite. You weren't really sure how he found out... maybe Cry told him. In his hand, he held a bottle of water. When he was close enough, he handed it to Katjaa.

"Here, I found some water." He told her.

"Oh, thank you..." Katjaa gave a grateful smile up to him and took the water. "Perfect."

Felix nodded, and crouched down, eyeing you and Katjaa. You and he shared a small gaze... before Katjaa's further sentence had you both looking to her in confusion.

"He's allergic to bees."

She gestured to her son, who was only barely awake, and breathing heavily.

"Is that right?" Felix asked.

"That's all I can keep thinking about." Katjaa admitted. "Like, somehow, that matters."

"It doesn't." Felix told her. Katjaa sighed, and nodded.

"I know." She paused. "Well, I don't, but you're probably right."

Felix stood and nodded to Katjaa, then looked to you again. He nodded to you.

"You doin' alright, [Your Name]?" He asked.

You nodded, but before you could answer, a sudden figure caught your gaze. He'd emerged from the boxcar, moving too quick and gracefully to be a walker. At first, you took him as a threat, but as you saw the friendly gaze he gave, you smiled as he approached. He had a warm look in his eye... and a nice atmosphere to him. He smiled back to you as he noticed your expression. You got up and tried to move to him to greet him, but Felix got in your way. He protectively put an arm around you and held you close... as Cry would have done.

"Who are you?" Felix asked, lightly frowning. The man stopped in his step, before reaching up and scratching at his white hair. He smiled.

"Name's Chuck." He replied. "Want some candy?"

_Cry's P.O.V._

I'd quickly spoken to Clementine about getting a-hold of a crayon, but after discovering she had left everything at the motor-inn, she suggested trying the RV. I did just that, ran into the RV, and crapped a pencil sitting in a cup-holder by the front. When I'd come back out, Felix and [Your Name] were talking to Katjaa, Duck in her hold. I'd felt a pang of guilt, but I knew that I'd be doing more help getting the train started than feeling bad for the kid. So I made my way back into the train and rubbed out the instructions.

Soon, I'd been fidgeting with the controls in the driver's cart, and then flipping a couple switches on the out side. Then, the train had come alive. We'd tried to move, but the train halted. It wasn't long before Kenny had ordered me to get us UN-stuck from wherever we were stuck. I told him I would, and ventured to find where we'd been caught. It wasn't long before I found the source and un-stuck us, and then made my way inside the box-car. When I did, I couldn't help but take notice to the recently-used sleeping bag upon the ground, and the dirty, empty cans. I approached the living-space slowly, but then, a voice came from behind.

"You touch any'a my stuff?"

I spun around, my eyes locking on an older, dirtier looking man. He gave me a stern expression. I slowly shook my head. He slowly approached me, and frowned. I backed away, but he kept coming. He stopped when he was only inches away. I nervously swallowed.

"I didn't take anything, but I believe my friend Felix may have borrowed a bottle of water."

The man then nodded. "That's fine." He laughed. "You can have that."

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I got plenty." He replied. "And ya'll are probably thirsty."

He then turned to his living-arrangement. "I guess it's no worse for wear," He told me. "Name's Chuck. Charles, if you're fancy."

"Cry." I told him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Charles." He eyed me curiously. I shrugged. "I'm fancy." I told him.

He shook his head. "No, your name." He told me. "'Cry'. Short for somethin'?"

I thought for a moment... then used a name I hadn't used in a long time. "Cryaotic." I told him. He rose an eyebrow.

"What kind of a name is 'Cryaotic'?"

I frowned, taking slight offence. "It's one that I enjoy."

Chuck suddenly laughed, and shook his head. "Alright, boy. Alright. Don't get your knickers in a twist." He then gestured outside the boxcar. "Is that your crew outside?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir." I told him. "That would be those people."

Chuck grinned. "I saw you walkin' through here, and thought about scarin' the pants off of you."

I blinked. "Wha-"

"But I couldn't force myself to do it." Chuck laughed. I eyed him.

"You're still kinda freakin' me out." I told him.

"Train folk'll do that." He told me. "I already met everyone outside. They warmed up to me real quick." He paused. "Except for the Swedish guy, though. Oh, ya'll should'a seen him when he saw me. He grabbed this young woman and drug her behind him, like I was gonna try to kill 'er or somethin'."

He then turned and hopped out of the boxcar. I quickly followed, trotting up to his side. When we arrived at the small area where everyone was hanging out, [Your Name] and Clementine looked to me with happy expressions. Felix wearily eyed Chuck. I noticed Clementine had a rose in her hair. She got off of her log and walked over to me, smiling.

"You met Chuck!" She laughed.

"Yeah, I did..." I mumbled. She turned around to face him, and beamed. Katjaa was smiling.

"It's so nice to meet someone normal, for a change." The German woman spoke.

"He gave us candy!" Clementine interrupted. "Ben, too!"

My eyes flicked to Ben, who's mouth was full of treats. He looked up to me with wide eyes, unsure if he should feel afraid or guilty. I cracked an amused smile at him, and then looked back to Chuck, and smiled at the old man too.

"Welcome." I told him.

"Thank ya." He replied.

"You met Kenny?" I asked.

"Sure did." Chuck replied. He turned and sat down against the lock, and put his hands on his knees. He looked up to me. "Man shares my love of the road." He then gestured to [Your Name]... who Felix had his arm wrapped around. The Swede continued to stare wearily at Chuck. "Your friend mentioned Savannah." Chuck continued. "Is that where ya'll are headin'?"

"Trying to, at least." I told him. I watched as he handed me a clip-board, with a map in it. I took the board from his grasp.

"Take a look." He told me.

I gazed down at the paper and flipped through it, and then huffed. "Rout 27 will get us straight there."

Katjaa looked to me. "To Savannah?" She asked.

"Yep." Chuck replied.

Suddenly, Duck went into a short, but loud coughing fit. [Your Name] flashed him a look of worry and sympathy. Katjaa gave a depressed sigh and gently patted his back. He curled closer to his mother's lap. Chuck mumbled.

"I'm awful sorry your son's not feelin' good." He told Katjaa.

"I appreciate your concern." Katjaa replied.

"Well, with a little TLC, I'm sure he'll be fit as a fiddle in no time." Chuck mumbled again, smiling. "I can offer ya'll whatever I got. ...Although, it ain't much."

"Thank you." Katjaa whispered. "We'd like to do the same."

"Why don't we hold off, on, uh..." Kenny's voice suddenly piped up. He took his place beside Katjaa. I hadn't even noticed he'd come out of the train.

"Stay with us." Katjaa told Chuck. "We'd like the company."

Kenny lightly frowned and walked away. I blinked, and then followed after, leaving the others to do as they wished. As I approached, Kenny turned to me, his frown slightly lessening.

"So that's it?" He asked. "We're cut loose?"

"Seems that way, yeah." I replied, smiling. Kenny suddenly grinned back.

"Great!" He laughed. I then handed him the clip-board. He looked at it with slight interest.

"Here, Kenny." I told him as I handed it to him.

"Whoa!" Kenny gasped. He looked at the map. "This hoss'll take us right to Savannah!" He then gestured to the train. "A hundred tons of steel! It'll put miles and miles between us and walkers, and we don't have to give a shit!"

I nodded, and grinned again.

_"Yeah! Let's go!"_


	18. Chapter 18

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_**Like Water Off A Duck's Back**_

_Your P.O.V._

It'd been a couple hours since the train started moving, and Duck's condition was only growing worse. He'd come more pale... and had been coughing up blood. You and Clementine were leaned against the wall, knees to your chests, arms holding them together, chins rested on your legs as you watched Katjaa gently cuddle him. She hadn't noticed the two of you staring, but even if she did, it wouldn't have mattered. The world outside was a blur as the train drove.

The boxcar doors were open, which you didn't find very safe, but didn't object to. The rest of the group was in the boxcar. Felix and Ben sat in a different spot, chatting together. Chuck was sitting alone, back rested against the train. His eyes were closed, but you weren't sure if he was sleeping, or simply resting.

He'd been quiet for a while, though. Cry stood by the opened boxcar door, staring out into the world as it went by. He looked a little upset, and a little concentrated at the same time. You knew he was thinking about Duck... but you couldn't blame him. Who wasn't worried about the kid?

Even Kenny... in as much denial as he was at the moment... was still dearly upset. It was only a matter of time before Duck passed away and became something else. It had to be dealt with, and dealt with _now._ Suddenly, Chuck's eyes opened, and he glanced to you and Cry.

"It's gotta be hard on you, eh?" He asked. "Five adults taking care of three kids..." He then turned to Ben, who was lightly glaring now. "No disrespect, son." Chuck mumbled. Ben looked away. Felix looked amused.

"We'll be fine." Cry turned to Chuck and spoke softly. "We've gone through just as much as anybody else."

"Well, this one's gonna grow up quick." Chuck smirked toward Ben. Ben rolled his eyes.

"I already am." The teenager lightly hissed.

"I don't doubt it, son." Chuck laughed.

"[YOUR NAME]!"

Your eyes widened, and you looked toward Katjaa. Duck began coughing, blood spewing from his lips. Katjaa looked like she was about to panic.

"[Your Name], I need you! Right now! I need you to go get Ken!"

You picked yourself up off the floor and approached the mother and her son, before crouching down. You gave a worried look.

"What's-"

"Would you get that off his face?" Katjaa interrupted, before gesturing to a dirty white cloth on the ground. "My hands are a little full here." You slowly nodded, then reached down and took the cloth. She weakly smiled. "Thank you." Her smile vanished. "Will you just get the blood off his face, please?"

You nodded, then reached forward, carefully wiping the blood away from Duck's face. Duck's tired eyes slunk to you, but that's all he did regarding you.. He lightly groaned and leaned back into his mother. You folded up the cloth, but didn't put it down. Katjaa looked into your eyes.

"He's out of time." Katjaa looked like it killed her to say such a thing. "We need to stop this train."

You stood. "Okay," You told her. You felt a hand rest on your shoulder. You knew it was Cry supporting you. You reached up and took hold of his hand. He sighed.

"Please..." Katjaa begged.

You left Katjaa's side and exited the boxcar. You turned around and saw Cry exit... and then hesitate. You gave him a curious gaze. He looked up to you with those handsome blue eyes.

"I'm going to make sure Clementine is okay first." He told you. "Go ahead and start without me. I'll be there soon."

You slowly nodded, then turned and raced through the train. You eventually reached the driver's seat and opened it, before stepping inside. You couldn't see Kenny's face, but by the way he was sitting, you knew he was upset.

"Kenny." You spoke gently. "You need to stop the train."

Kenny ignored you. You closed your eyes for a sec, willing yourself to stay calm. You weren't up for his bullshit right now. You then slowly exhaled through your nose, and opened your eyes. Then, you pulled the bloody rag from your pocket and presented it to him.

"Kenny." You started.

"What?!" He snapped. You frowned.

"KEN." You growled. He turned to look to you... and then saw the blood on the rag.

"What the hell's that?" He asked.

Your frown deepened. "Nothing you seem to care about." You told him.

"FUCK YOU!" He snapped. He turned away from you, and looked back to the dash-board. "You don't KNOW what I care about. I care about saving my son, and getting ALL OF US to the ocean."

Your eyes flashed with anger. Fire.

"The same way you 'cared' about Hershel's son?" You asked.

Kenny scoffed. "That's on both of us."

"It is." You growled. "But you never got over it."

"Who gives a shit?" Kenny asked.

"How many sons are you gonna let die?!" You rose your voice to him. Then... you felt a pang of fear as Kenny spun around and got to his feet, glaring dangerous, dark daggers at you.

"Shut your mouth!" He snarled. You stood your ground and glared back, but then gasped as he took hold of your shoulders and shoved you into the wall. You squeaked and struggled to get out of his grip, but he was many times stronger than you. Your eyes widened as you saw his fist raise. But before it could strike you, another hand suddenly took hold of his wrist and pulled, yanking him off. You watched with wide eyes as Cry's figure appeared. He shoved Kenny into the dashboard, and then pinned him there. Kenny's arm hit something... the lever, and the train began to go at a much faster rate. Cry kept Kenny pinned down and began to scream.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER! I TOLD KATJAA I WAS GOING TO STOP THIS, AND YOU BET YOUR ASS I'M GOING TO." Cry leaned into Kenny's face, but then gasped as Kenny kneed him in the crotch, then shoved him to the ground.

You screamed as Kenny threw himself on top of Cry, and punched him in the eye. You sprang forward and grabbed his shoulders, trying to pull him off. He threw his elbow back and nailed you in the stomach, causing you to stumble and fall. Your body hit the ground, you landing on your ass. You looked up and watched as Cry got to his feet and shoved Kenny into the wall again. He held his arm to Kenny's throat and roughly pushed down, holding one of Kenny's balled up fists with his free hand.

"I've had your back!" Cry snarled. "Don't make me fucking regret it!"

Kenny aimed to punch again, but Cry caught the punch, and pinned his arm to the wall. He leaned into Kenny's face and growled.

"You want to hurt people because you're afraid!" He loudly spoke. "Loosing Duck isn't enough for you?! Because you'll FUCKING LOOSE EVERYTHING acting like this! I'll fucking KILL YOU before I let anything like that happen!"

"Cry!" You cried out. You stood up on shaky legs and moved to him, grabbing him by the waist and pulling. "C-Cry! Please, stop!"

Cry growled, then yelled one last snarl, before letting go, and letting Kenny drop to the ground. He then turned to you. You could see the rage in his eyes. Tears fell down your cheeks, and you buried your face in his shoulder. Cry tensed, then quickly sighed, trying to calm himself down and pulled you into his arms. The two of you stood like that for several moments... before you noticed Kenny stand.

You were fearful that he'd attack again, but you were more fearful that Cry would get struck once more as he hid you behind him and turned around. The redneck looked a little shaken, however, and eyed Cry with an emotion you didn't recognize. Cry just stared back, and said nothing.

Then, Kenny looked away, and walked over to the driver's seat. He leaned forward and pulled the lever back, causing it to begin to roll to it's eventual stop. He then looked back to Cry... and then to you. He looked guilty as hell.

OoOoOoO

"Ken, it's time." Katjaa had mumbled.

Your group was standing outside the boxcar, watching as Katjaa and Kenny looked over their son and debated on what to do. Katjaa looked depressed, though she had come to terms with knowing her son had to die. Kenny, however, was only just slipping out of his stage of denial. Suddenly, he turned to Chuck.

"The boy's been bit," He informed. "Incase you haven't figured that out.

Chuck said nothing. Kenny looked back to Katjaa.

"What do you need?" Cry asked the distraught parents. Kenny temporarily shut his eyes as he tried to think.

"I... I..."

Cry turned away from Kenny, and to his wife. "Katjaa?"

"I-It's time to..." Her voice cracked. "This is not possible..."

"What are we gonna do?" Kenny said, after a moment.

"We can't allow him to become one of those things." Katjaa told her husband.

"But, what if..." Kenny stumbled over his words. "What if he doesn't?"

"Kenny, I love you very much." Katjaa informed him. "I love our son more than life itself. But you need to hear me when I say this. What you are saying... that he may not turn..." Her eyes watered, and she looked back to her son. "Is foolish."

"But," Kenny began. Katjaa glared.

"No." She told him.

"There's..." Kenny began again. He whimpered. "Come on, Kat."

"If you think of one, you let me know." Katjaa sighed.

"Isn't there some sort of pill-"

"Kenny..."

"Or something... we can just give him-"

"Stop it."

"And then he can just... drift off to sleep. Right hon? I mean, Jesus! This is our son!"

"I know!" Katjaa sighed. She then pointed to her temple. "But we know it's here... or nothing."

"Fuck..." Kenny grumbled. "The-... Then... Who, then?! You want _me _too?"

"You don't have to."

"I'll do it."

All eyes flew to you... including Cry's. You stared at the parents of the boy with a look of sympathy. They stared back at you, eyes wide with disbelief. Katjaa began to shake her head, along with Kenny.

"No." She sighed. "It should be a parent."

"No parent should have to do something like this." You pointed out.

"[Your Name]'s right, Kat." Kenny sighed. "We can say our goodbyes, and... let that be it."

"I don't know..." Katjaa mumbled. She then turned to look to you. "[Your Name], you'd be doing this family a great service." She then paused. "Why don't we take him into the forest... so Clementine doesn't have to see."

Kenny nodded. "Yeah."

"Cry," Katjaa suddenly looked to Cry. "Can I... borrow your gun? To fight off any walkers that we may come across?"

Cry slowly nodded, and handed Katjaa his gun. Katjaa attached it to her belt, before turning to Kenny. Kenny slowly nodded, and took the boy into his arms.

"We're going to say our goodbyes. Give us a minute, will you?" Katjaa asked. You nodded to her, and watched as the three of them ventured off into the forest. You then turned to Cry, who looked back to you with sorrow-filled eyes. You sighed and moved forward. He took you into his arms and tightly hugged you. You sighed.

"I don't know what to do, Cry..." You mumbled. "Duck... Kenny Junior... he's..."

"Shh..." Cry gently stroked your hair. "I know, Princess. I know. I'll come with you when it's time."

"It'll be okay..." Felix's voice sounded from beside Clementine. The two of them were sitting between the doors of the boxcar.

"What's happening?" Clementine suddenly asked. You pulled yourself away from Cry and trotted over to Clementine, before pulling her into a brief hug. You then looked down into her eyes.

"Duck is dying." You honestly told her. She sighed.

"I know." She reminded you. "What are you going to do?"

You were silent for a moment... and then gave a sigh of your own. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't come back."

"Oh..." Clementine mumbled.

"Yeah..."

"Look Clem, things'll-"

"NOOOOO!"

Your eyes widened at the sound of a gunshot, and then a scream. You spun around and looked to Cry, but he was already running off toward the forest. You followed after him, and heard Felix's steps follow after you. The three of you sprinted through the forest together, feet pounding against the ground, trying to get to your planned destination as quick as you can. It wasn't long before you spotted the three. Duck was leaned against a tree. Katjaa was on the ground, blood pouring from a bullet-sized hole in her head. Cry's gun was in her hand. Kenny was hunched over her, tears falling from his eyes, body shaking as he tried to get her to answer.

"No!" He gasped. "Kat... Kat! KATJAA!"

The three of you skid to a halt. Your eyes went wide. Katjaa committed suicide.

"Why, Kat?" Kenny whispered. "Honey... my baby... oh, fuckin' God..."

He hunched even further over, small sobbing sounds coming from his form. Tears continued to run down his cheeks at a rapid pace. Your jaw hung open to show your astonishment.

"Oh my God..." Felix whispered.

"I..." Kenny started. "I..."

He couldn't finish. You watched as he picked up the gun out of Katjaa's hand, his grip shaking, before looking to his body. He made his way over to Duck and crouched down, giving him a tight, long hug, before backing away and leaving him there. He continued to stare at the gun in his hand, then, but you knew he couldn't kill his son.

You slowly walked forward, and he didn't stop you when you pulled him into a tight hug. He didn't hug back. He just stood there... doing nothing but crying. When you were finished hugging, you slipped the gun out of his grasp, and then made sure it was loaded.

You looked back to Duck. You sighed as Kenny walked away... but then blinked as he was replaced with Cry. Cry took hold of your left hand, the one that wasn't holding the gun, and gently squeezed it. Felix arrived at your right, and rested his hand on your shoulder.

The three of you stood like that for a moment, watching Duck. Duck stared right back, though his eyes were just barely open. He lightly breathed... his breaths short and chopped. Tears began to drip down your cheeks. You slowly rose the gun, and gave out a silent sob.

_"Goodbye, Robin."_


	19. Chapter 19

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

_**A Map, A Haircut, And A Gun**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

Clementine had been sitting alone on the edge of the boxcar. Her Walkie-Talkie lay at her right. She was looking out into the world, that was only a blur as the train moved. She looked upset. I eyed her, before slowly making my way over, and plopping myself down beside her. She'd looked to me for a split second, before looking away. Misery coded her expression.

"Want to talk?" I asked her. She softly sighed, and shook her head. I bit my lip.

"You understand what happened?" I pressed on anyway. She still didn't look up to me.

"Yes." She weakly confirmed.

"Okay..." I mumbled. "What are you thinking about?"

"What Chuck said." She muttered.

I rose an eyebrow in question. "Yeah?" I asked. "What did Chuck say?"

"That what happened to Duck would happen to me."

"What?!" I gasped, my voice a whisper. "The fuck he did?!"

"Swear." Clementine muttered. I sighed.

"Sorry." I said. "I'll go have a talk with him."

"Don't be mad..." She whispered.

OoOoOoO

I eventually found Chuck-The-Fuckstick leaning against the railing of the train at the very front, just outside the the driver's cart. He was staring at the road again, watching the tracks as they disappeared under the train. I frowned, nearly glaring as I approached him.

"Hey." I huffed, voice angry.

"Howdy." Chuck replied. "How you doin'?"

"I don't care what reason you had for doing it," I started. "There's no reason to tell _my girl_ that she's gonna end up dead!"

Chuck blinked, registering what I said, before sighing, and looking away.

"It's cause she is." He mumbled. My frown turned to a full-on glare. I waited for him to continue. "I don't know much about you folks," He mumbled again. "But I'm as sure as the sun goin' down, that if you and your group keep goin' on like this, that little girl ain't gonna make it."

"What do you know?"

He scoffed. "I know that you don't have a God-damned plan. We get to Savannah, and then what?"

"We do what's best for Clementine." I told her. Chuck frowned. He obviously wasn't pleased.

"Oh, well then!" He snapped. "You _do_ have it all figured out then! Nevermind." He paused, and then sighed. "Look, sit down with the girl and hash it out – find a map, for Christ's sake. I'd give you one if I had it. And if something were to happen to you-"

"It won't." I growled. Chuck sighed.

"Well, what about your girlfriend?"

My cheeks heated. Damn it, I wish I had my mask to cover up my blush. He saw me, but payed no mind to how my cheeks were turning a little red from the awkwardness. He continued.

"If you two were to go under," He continued. "You gotta prepare the girl. Teach her to use a weapon – and for _criminy_, cut that hair!"

My eyes widened. "Like a gun?" I asked. "Are you kidding me?!"

"What? She's too young to handle one?" Chuck asked. He shook his head and sent me a wise-ass look. "There ain't many young in the world..." He mumbled. "Not anymore. You gotta consider her a living person. That's it. You're either livin', or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart... you're _alive._" He paused. "Look at her hair." He said. "Find some scissors in my pack, and take care of her hair, before a walker does it for you." He paused again. "And do the same for your other girl, ah... what's her name?"

"[Your Name]." You told him. He nodded.

"[Your Name]." He repeated. "Yeah, do the same for her. If ya'll don't do somethin' about the girls' hair now, then a monster will in the future. I can promise that. And then show the little one how to use a gun. Because like it or not, that's what it takes to survive out here." He gave me a slightly guilty look. "I'm sorry," He continued. "I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but too many people have died already... And seein' another little girl die, just... might do me in."

I suppose the man had a point. I sighed, leaning my elbows on the balcony before burying my face in my hands, tiredly sighing through my fingers as the speed of the train had wind rushing through my hair. I had [Your Name] and Clementine to consider... and Chuck did mean well, even if I disagreed with him telling Clementine she was gonna fucking die. I sighed.

"A map, a haircut, and a gun." I finally nodded and looked up. "That's good advice."

"It's something." Chuck mumbled.

I finally turned away. "Be safe up here." I told him. I didn't wait for his reply as I moved away, and back into the driver's cart.

My eyes flicked to Kenny. The poor bastard was looking out the window, his mind not really focused on anything. I approached him slowly, then rested a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at the touch, but then softened again, and sighed. I looked to him, and then to the map in a small holder against the wall. Gently, I leaned forward and snatched the map. Then, I looked to Kenny, but he didn't look back at me.

"Hey, man." I told him. He hummed.

"You and me..." He started, voice low. "We, uh... fuck it. Let's just get to the ocean."

"You still wanna get a boat?" I asked, curiously. He nodded.

"It's still the best plan." He confirmed. He still didn't look up to me. I gently patted his shoulder and sighed.

"Ken, I-"

"It's the best plan." He said again.

I sighed, and tore my gaze away from his. I couldn't deal with him right now. As much as I felt bad for the guy, I couldn't handle it. I needed to get to Clementine and [Your Name] and tell them what Chuck told me. The old man was right. They needed a haircut, a map, and Clementine needed a gun.

I left the driver's cart and made my way down the outside of the train, before reaching the boxcar. Just outside it's entrance, Ben was leaning against the railing, elbows against it, not speaking. I almost wanted to speak to him, but decided not to. I just passed him and made my way to the next cart. But before I could open the door, his voice suddenly had me stopping.

"It was me."

I turned around and looked up to him, sending him a curious gaze. He had his head held in his hands, but he peered at me through his fingers. I tilted my head to the side.

"Huh?" I asked.

He moved his hand out of the way of his face, his bright blue eyes dim as he looked to me.

"I was the one giving the bandits the supplies." He said.

My eyes widened. I quickly hopped up onto the car he was in and faced him. He looked fearful... like I was going to hit him. But I didn't. I just frowned.

"What?" I asked him. He winced.

"It's all my fault." He leaned away from the railing and stood straight, facing me.

"What for?!" I asked, almost a little too angry-sounding. "Why the hell would you do this?!"

Ben looked like he regretted telling me. I sighed, and tried to calm myself down. Right now, the teen was under stress, and didn't need all the yelling. What happened happened.

"They said they had my friend. That he was with them." Ben defended. "By the time I realized they didn't, it was too late. They said they'd kill me. Kill all of us." He paused, and looked at me with an overly-guilty expression. "I'm sorry, Cry..."

I sighed, then reached out and pat his shoulder. He flinched, but then looked at me curiously when he noticed how gentle my hand was. I lightly sighed.

"It's okay, Ben. What happened happened." I then frowned. "Don't tell Kenny."

"Of 'course not..." Ben mumbled. "Not yet..."

I turned and left his side, and made my way back into the boxcar, where I knew Clementine and [Your Name] would be waiting for me. My mind was now spinning with all the news I was receiving. Katjaa and Duck's death. Ben's fault. The possibility of Clementine, and... even [Your Name] dying. It was all beginning to become too much.

As I entered the boxcar, my eyes immediately landed on [Your Name] and Clementine. They were standing in the middle of the cart together, giggling as Felix told one of his many jokes. The Swede actually looked a little better today. The circles under his eyes had almost completely vanished, and he'd taken the time to comb his hair back (where he got the comb, I have no idea). He was returning to his funny, energetic self.

[Your Name] seemed really happy... her beautiful smile brightening her face. Her [eye color] orbs shining. It made me smile to see her this way. It filled my chest with an overwhelming sense of joy. I approached the three of them quietly, though they knew I was there. The three of them turned to me with a smile... before Felix, while smiling, rose an eyebrow.

"Cry, you didn't tell me how handsome you were without your mask on!" He teased. Clementine giggled, and [Your Name] lightly laughed. I rolled my eyes and smirked.

"Well, I'm so worried about people like you hitting on me, Pewds." I defended. "It's better to keep myself hidden, and serenade the ladies with my voice."

"Yeah, with your 'amazing' singing skills?" Felix asked. "Let's not forget, Cry, you don't have to worry about me hitting on you. I don't even know if you like men!"

At the reference, it wasn't long before I was holding my sides in laughter. Felix's hand was on my shoulder, and he was partly keeled over, laughing just as hard. [Your Name] was laughing at the Valentine's Day reference herself, and Clementine just stood there, smiling, but looking confused.

Finally, the three of us got over our fit of laughter, and I happily sighed. I then turned to [Your Name] and Clementine.

"How are you doing at the moment, girls?" I asked.

[Your Name] smiled up at me (I was much taller than her), and slowly nodded.

"Well, thanks to you and Felix, we feel a little better." She told me. "How are you, Cry?"

"Well..." My smile lessened a little, but it was still there. "I have to talk to you two about something."

The girls' smiles vanished. "Oh, no..." Clementine sighed. "What happened?" [Your Name] looked concerned. I lightly chuckled, and shook my head.

"Nothing bad. We have to talk about your girls' hair. It's not safe."

[Your Name] frowned, and crossed her arms. "Geeze, Cry. That's not very nice."

My face fell. Panic began to rise inside me. "W-What?! Oh, no, I meant-"

"Are you saying it smells?" Clementine frowned as she asked the question. Felix's eyes widened a little, and he slowly began to walk away. I eyed him, giving him a _Please-Help-Me_ look, but he only mumbled something about checking in on Kenny, before turning and walking out of the boxcar. I swallowed, and looked back to the girls, who still glared daggers at me.

"Uhh..." I reached my hand up and scratched the back of my neck. "Listen. I talked to Chuck after he said that stuff to you, Clementine. He explained himself, and... actually made some pretty good points."

[Your Name] looked a little less upset now, but she pulled Clementine closer to her, and still kept a light frown toward me. "And?" She asked. "What was the advice?"

"There are precautions we have to take..." I continued. I looked to Clementine. "Especially for Clementine. I don't want what happened to Duck happen to her, so... we're going to try something new."

Clementine blinked for a moment, before nodding. "Okay... yeah. That makes sense."

I smiled again. "Don't worry, sweetheart."

She smiled back. "Okay." She said. "What should we do?"

"Well, we're going to plan what we're gonna do when we get to Savannah," I started. "Teach you how to protect yourself, and tidy you up a bit, so nothing happens."

Clem's smile widened. "I'd like that." She admitted.

_Your P.O.V._

"Look right through the end, through that notch."

You watched, a small, happy smile on your face as Cry knelt beside Clementine. His body was leaned against her, her back resting against his chest. She was facing a box with bottles on the top, and in her hand, she held a loaded hand gun. It was Cry's gun, and at first, Clementine didn't like it. But Cry had eased her into holding it, and soon enough, she was ready to begin.

Now, Cry's hands were over hers, guiding her, teaching her how to hold the weapon, and how to shoot. The sight of them bonding and him teaching her had warmed your heart. You loved it. He truly was acting like a father with her.

"Now," Cry gently spoke. "When you're ready to shoot, make sure you take in a deep breath before pulling the trigger. It helps you keep the gun steady, and helps you aim."

"Like, when I'm swimming?" Clementine asked. Cry slowly shook his head.

"No, just for a quick second." He told her. "I found that when I did that, my shot was a lot more accurate. It's tough, but it helps."

Clementine aimed, and you watched as she stuck her arms straight out. Cry gently reached forward and took hold of her elbows, bending them slowly.

"Good," He told her. "Don't lock your elbows, though."

Clementine slowly nodded, and Cry put his hands over her ears. They both squinted at the bottles as they tried to figure out their aim. Then, Cry mumbled, "...A little more to the left, honey."

Suddenly, she pulled the trigger, and then squeaked when the gun made a loud noise. She lowered the weapon and watched as the bottle instantly shattered on her first try. You and Cry both gave her a surprised look. She had an excited expression plastered to her face.

"I got it!" She gasped.

"Excellent!" Cry praised. "Good shot!"

OoOoOoO

The two of them spent about half an hour shooting bottle after bottle. Eventually, you traded places with Cry and gave Clementine your own personal tips and secrets with shooting. It wasn't long before she hit the bottles dead-on every time. Finally, when Cry felt it was a good time, he suggested you all stopped shooting, and move onto the other thing.

He'd taken the gun back, and the both of you watched with interest as he pulled a map out from his pocket. You two eyed the map curiously as he sat on the floor of the boxcar. He gestured for you two to sit, and so you did. He then opened up the map and spread it between you two, and began pointing out different spots upon it.

"The three of us are a team." Cry reminded. "And our team here needs a plan, for when we get to Savannah." He looked to you. You nodded, before patting Clementine's shoulder.

"I agree. I want to do what's best for Clementine, when we get there." You spoke to the two of them. "I'd like to help her find her parents. She needs to know if they're okay." You paused. "Aside from everyone else... when this train stops, the three of us need to know exactly what we're doing."

"A plan." Clementine smiled. "I like it."

"Let's figure out where they were and start there." Cry suggested. The three of you leaned into the map and began looking to all the different spots in Savannah. You were hoping Clementine would hear something that would spark her memory, so you began reading out all the places on the map. Eventually, you read out _Marsh House_. Her eyes lit up with joy and recognition, and she gasped.

"That's it!"

Cry chuckled at Clementine's excitement. "So we'll head there." He said.

"Yes!" Clementine laughed.

"Do you think we have a good plan?" You asked her. She looked to you and nodded.

"I think it's very good." She told me. Then, she suddenly turned to Cry, and mumbled, "Can I... tell my parents... you know...?"

All the color began to drain from Cry's face, and you watched as he sent you a nervous gaze. You eyed him curiously, raising a brow, as if to say, _What's-The-Matter_? He looked back to Clementine and quickly nodded, and quickly spoke,

"SuregoaheadClem."

You lightly frowned. You opened your mouth to speak, but he saw you begin to talk and quickly talked before you, getting up from where he stood, and moving toward Chuck's back-pack.

"Well, let's get to the last order of business!"

You and Clementine watched, your confusion growing at his sudden weird actions, but then grumbled as he pulled out a pair of scissors. He looked to you two, and innocently smiled.

"We have to gut your girls' hair, so you don't get grabbed. It's beyond necessary."

Clementine seemed reluctant, but as Cry approached, you knew she was gathering up the courage to accept what was happening. When Cry told her that she was the first one to get her hair done, she sighed and let her go behind her and knelt down. You then watched with amusement as he gave a confused look, as he looked between Clementine, and the scissors. You giggled.

"You don't know how to cut hair, do you?" I asked.

He huffed, and looked to me out of the corner of his eyes, giving a light smile. "How hard can it be?" He asked. He reached to take hold of Clementine's hair. Your eyes widened.

"No." You told him. He looked up to you, and watched as you snatched the scissors from his hands. You knelt beside him, and gently took hold of Clementine's hair.

"Look, Cry, you're a great guy, but you can't do everything. I don't want you puncturing the girl on accident."

"Pfft." Cry scoffed, but gave a look of understandment. He sighed and trotted away, towards Felix's direction on the other side of the boxcar.

You finished Clementine's hair quickly, making small conversation with her as you did so, though your mind was mainly focused on what Clementine had asked Cry. She asked if she could tell her parents something... you weren't sure what, but Cry looked all nervous, then. You didn't know what his deal was, but you knew it was something he was keeping secret. From you. And damn it, you were gonna find out.

When you were finished with Clementine's hair, she offered to do yours, but you politely refused, and said that you'd do your own in the mirror later. You'd gotten up and looked around. Felix and Cry were still on the other side of the boxcar, talking quietly with each other while they waited for you to finish with Clementine. When you approached, Cry eyed you, your expression, and looked nervous.

"Hey," You said softly. "Cry, can I talk to you for a sec, please?"

Cry blinked, swallowing, and crossed his arms. "I don't see why- Ah!"

You didn't give him time to argue, and instead, you snatched up one of his arms and drug him across the boxcar, toward the door that lead to the other carts. Felix and Clementine looked slightly amused as they watched you drag him away.

Outside, there was no one but you and Cry. You shut the door behind the two of you and leaned against it, crossing your arms and looking up at the ex-gamer.

"Cry, you know you don't have to keep things from me." You told him straight-on. "We've been best friends since the day we met. Are you keeping something from me? What are you worried about?"

Cry lightly sighed as he stared at you, jaw moving like he wasn't sure how to respond... before he gently took your hand.

"Princess... I am _so_ sorry..."

You blinked as you stared up at him, your frown disappearing. He tore his gaze away from yours, unable to look up at you.

"The first day we met, I lied to you. I told you that I'd found you in that broken car, but really... I had been in the car with you before the crash. I was arrested for murder, and was being sent to prison. I don't know what you had done. You were slightly out of it... I forget what, but something was wrong with you... you hadn't been fully down to Earth. I never found out what you did or what had been wrong.

"They'd arrested both of us on the same day, as a two-in-one kind of deal. When we crashed, I'd woken first, and drug you out. When you'd woken, you told me you remembered nothing... so I lied and didn't tell you anything about where I'd truly been. I was worried you were going to get me into prison for good, and... I didn't want to. I knew it'd ruin me and my gaming career, and I couldn't take that risk."

He looked up into your eyes, tears pricking at the corners of his dark-blue orbs. "But I've regretted that decision every day since after the day I've met you." He squeezed your hand. "I never told you, because I thought you'd hate me. [Your Name], I... we... You mean the world to me. I know we've only known each other about three or four months, but... but I..." He paused, his hands lightly shaking, now. He bit his lip. "I... I think I love you. You're always in my thoughts, and I can't get you out of my head. Or my dreams. Ever. I'm always worried about your safety. When Lilly tried to shoot you, I didn't know what to do with myself. When Kenny attacked you earlier, I... I thought I was going to kill him. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about the car-accident. I'm so sorry I lied to you. And I'm so sorry that I let the people at the dairy get you. I'm sorry... I'm sor-... mmph...?!"

You'd cut him off, your eyes fluttering shut as you leaned up and quickly and firmly caught his lips with your own. You squeezed his hand back as you leaned into the kiss you'd created, savoring the long-waited feel of the spark that ignited inside your chest. Your feelings for Cry just came gushing from your heart. You couldn't help yourself anymore.

When you'd finally pulled away, Cry's face was darkened a dark red, and his eyes were wide. His lips were lightly parted, but he said nothing. He only stared at you with a surprised expression. You gently smiled at him.

"I love you too, Cry..." You told him. "I stopped myself from getting too close to you, partly because I feared you wouldn't like me back. I didn't want you to think I was one of those fangirls who stalked you on the internet. Cry... I can't get you out of my head, either. Whenever something bad or good happens, my first thought is to go to you.

"I love it when you hold me close... or call me 'Princess'. I never gave you back your jacket because it smells like you, and reminds me of you. ...I don't care that you lied to me. You still protected me, and kept me happy. And in the end, you told the truth. I'm alive. You're alive. We're together. That's all that matters. You make me so happy... and I don't know what I'd do without you." You then held his hand tighter, and lowered your voice to a whisper. "I forgive you. Please, don't ever leave me."

Cry slowly blinked, and then shut his mouth, expression showing that he couldn't believe what he was hearing. After a moment or two, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against yours, before shutting his eyes and connecting his lips to yours again.

You gave a happy sigh and shut your eyes, gently kissing him back. The warmth of his lips felt nice against your cold ones. You wanted this moment to last forever... but unfortunately, it ended quickly. Cry pulled away, before smiling down at you.

"Ryan." He whispered.

You tilted your head to the side, slightly confused. His smile widened only slightly.

_"My name is Ryan."_


	20. Chapter 20

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty**_

_**Omid And Christa**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

"OH SHIT. HOLD ON, EVERYBODY!"

Kenny's voice rang out from the front of the train. I quickly moved forward and gathered Clementine and [Your Name] into my arms, just before the breaks sound us, and had us jerking a little bit as it began to slow to a halt. The three of us fell into a wall, but thankfully, not onto our asses.

It wasn't long before the train came to a full and completely stop. And once it did, I let go of my girls, and hopped out of the train. Kenny had as well, and it wasn't long before I was at his side. The two of us gazed upon what we saw.

There was a bridge that went over the train-tracks. It was high... high enough for the train to fit under with safe distance. However, a giant truck of gasoline was tipped on it's side, part of it hanging down over the entrance. I stared with awe. It covered most of the tunnel, so the train wouldn't be able to go through without hitting it. I lightly winced as Kenny loudly swore beside me.

"Fuck... Fuck... Fuck... Fuck! FUUUUUUCK!"

Ben's voice suddenly sounded from behind me. Everyone else had gotten out of the train as well. [Your Name] had covered Clementine's ears as Kenny swore, but it didn't help. The little girl still looked upset over it.

"Maybe we could walk?" Ben's voice called.

There was silence.

"That's fuckin' stupid, Ben." Kenny grumbled.

"I-I'm just saying..." Ben whispered.

"Hmm. I dunno." Chuck suddenly chimed in. "I ain't got much experience with ya'll fortitude, but..." He gestured to the tipped-over truck. "We can probably deal with that. We got a God-damned train."

"That thing's not full of _milk,_ Charles." Kenny looked up to the old man. "That's diesel. Gas. Something that will _explode_.

Chuck frowned at Kenny. "You gotta get a-hold of yourself." He told the redneck. "This here's a crew."

Kenny walked up to Chuck and glared. "This ain't shit."

Chuck growled. "This-"

"Yo! If you keep screamin' like that, you're gonna get your face chewed off!"

My eyes widened, and I looked to the source of the voice, which came from the top of the bridge. A dark-colored, very young couple stood there, both looking down at our little group from where they stood. The male looked relaxed and friendly... however, the female looked stern, and cautious. ...Someone that doesn't trust easily, I realized.

"Are you guys gonna be trouble?" The female called down. "'Cause we could'a just kept walking."

"No! We're friendly!" I sent up a smile as I took a few steps forward. Kenny, put out his hand toward me, but I shook my head at him. "Put down your hand, Kenny." I told him.

"That's what they all say!" The female called back down to me. I shrugged up at her.

"We know." I replied.

The couple began to mumble to each other where they stood, too silent for me to hear. Our little group waited, before they finally turned back to us.

"You guys got a problem with your train?" The man asked. I slowly nodded, but it was Kenny who spoke.

"Yeah, you're standin' right in front of it."

"Dude! It's a wreck!" The man called. "It's not so bad from up here." He paused. "Send your buddy up to have a look."

I smiled and began to walk forward, but Kenny put his hand to my chest. I looked to him with a curious gesture, but he only gave me a frown.

"If anything goes sideways up there, we won't let them escape." He told me. I slowly nodded.

"Got it." I replied. He moved his arm away, and let me go. I began to make my way toward the latter, and as I did, [Your Name] sprinted after me.

_Your P.O.V._

You'd had a good vibe coming from these new people. Or, well... from the man, at least. You knew they were a young couple... the way they stood close and mumbled to each other.

While the man seemed laid-back and happy, the woman struck you more as a _trust-no-one_ and a _get-down-to-business_ sort of lady. You wondered if her attitude had anything to do with any sort of career she may have taken on before the apocalypse. It seemed possible.

Her shoulders were broad and her head was held high, and someone with authority would do. This either came from training to look like that, or growing up with a family who naturally looked like they were the ones people took order from. Either way, you decided you'd be a little less like yourself, even if you wanted to show the fun and exciting male that you were also really laid-back and chill.

But, you didn't want them to not trust you, and with the way it looked, the woman was the one in charge of whatever little group they had.

As you and Ryan reached the top of the latter, and climbed onto the bridge, you'd taken a moment to take in the couple's appearance from a closer angle. The woman wore a puffy, yet fit purple and white jacket, with a possible white T-Shirt underneath. She also wore blue-jeans and white sneakers.

he male wore a brown jacket with a black shirt underneath, a darker pair of blue-jeans, and brown sneakers. Both had dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair. The woman's hair was cut short just a little, but still long enough to tie back.

You looked to her hair, and longed to have your own back. You'd cut it just a bit before the train had come to a stop. You remembered how it'd grown very long since the apocalypse started, and now, it felt weird having it _so very _short.

"Hey dude!" The man had given a happy wave when his dark eyes had fallen onto Ryan's figure. As you moved out from behind him, his eyes had flicked to you, and lit up a little brighter. You were definitely feeling a friendly, nice vibe coming from him. You liked these people already.

"I'm Omid." He continued. "This is my girlfriend, Christa."

"Hey." Christa kept her greeting short. Her brows were furrowed into a light frown, but she looked more curious than anything else. She stared at you and Ryan with interest as she took in your figure, like you'd taken in hers. You heard the smile in Ryan's voice as he spoke up after Omid.

"I'm Cry." Ryan announced. He then gestured to you. "This is my girlfriend, [Your Name]."

At your sudden, new title, you felt a blush began to code your now-heated cheeks. You gave a tiny smile and scooted closer to your apparent boyfriend and interlaced your fingers together. You felt him give your hand a little squeeze as your fingers touched.

"What's the deal with the train?" Christa asked. She'd torn her gaze away from the two of you and glanced over the bridge, down to the train that your group had emerged from. Her dark-colored eyes seemed to linger, and you had a feeling she was studying your group. They were all staring up at you and Ryan, waiting patiently for the two of you to come back down with news. Kenny looked a little irritated, but you couldn't blame him. Today had been a long day.

"We're driving it." Ryan replied to the female's question. Omid's eyes lit up again.

"Oh, man!" He gasped, his smile widening. Christa lightly scoffed at her boyfriend's reaction and shook her head, lightly smiling as he looked a different way. Ryan's face held a hint of pride after seeing Omid's reaction. You smiled at the two of them for several moments, before piping up.

"Do you want to help us out? It's been kind of a bad day for us, and... yeah. We could use the help."

Christa frowned and gave you a doubtful look. You could sense the usual distrust in her gaze. She crossed her arms and gave you a light frown, before beginning to ask, "What's in it for us?". However, about half way through her sentence, she stopped and let her eyes flick behind you. You blinked and slowly turned around, to see Clementine's small figure climb from the latter to the bridge. You heard Omid gasp.

"Oh, shit!" He gasped. "God, damn! You guys have a kid!"

You saw Clem beam, and then look up to you with her big golden eyes. You slowly approached her and crouched down, reaching up to smooth out a strand of un-neat hair (though, everyone's hair was messy right now). You noticed the flower in her hair had disappeared... and you wondered if maybe it'd flew out the window in the train or something. That was okay. If you came across another rose-bush, the two of you would pick another one.

"What are you doing up here?" You gently asked her as you finished smoothing her hair. Clementine just lightly smiled, but she couldn't answer before Omid spoke up.

"Do you know _how long_ it's been since I've seen a kid? Shit!" Omid asked. You looked over your shoulder to the pale dark-colored man, and watched as he gave Clementine a bright gaze. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Clementine." Clementine replied, her smile widening. You heard Ryan scoff.

"Oh, so _he_ gets to swear." The brunette muttered under his breath, though it was still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Well, this is great!" Omid's tone was happy and enthusiastic. He chuckled, then turned to Christa with his bright stare. "See? Things are looking up!"

Christa's gaze was still doubtful. She crossed her arms and looked back to you, Ryan, and Clementine. You had stood and moved to Ryan's side, to which he placed an arm around your shoulders. Clementine had stood in front of you, and you put one of your hands on her shoulder. Ryan had taken his free hand and rested it on her head, pulling some strands of hair out of her eyes. You had to admit... the three of you really did look like a family at that moment.

Christa scoffed and looked to Ryan. "You two aren't her parents." She said. She gestured to the ground, where the rest of your group was. "They down there?"

You were slightly taken aback by her straightforwardness, but Ryan had actually chuckled and lightly grinned. "You know, you're the first one that we didn't have to say we weren't her parents to." He informed her. "Everyone makes that mistake. No, we're not her parents... and they're not down there."

"Huh." Christa gave a curt nod and frowned even deeper, taking a moment to think. Her brown eyes kept flicking between you, Ryan, and Clementine. Finally, quickly and without hesitation, she said, "What's your story?"

You hesitated, turning to Ryan with a curious look. You knew he may have felt awkward giving most of the information he'd given so far to them, and that you'd only spoken up once or twice. But you weren't quite sure how to explain what'd happened. Luckily, he seemed to be calm, and looked like he was just fine with answering.

"The Princess," He gestured to you as he spoke your usual nick-name. "and I had found Clementine at her house when we'd been escaping some walkers." He paused, and then mumbled, "We'd actually been incarcerated."

Omid's eyes lit up. "Cool. Got any prison tats?"

An amused smile spread across your lips. "We didn't get that far." You told him.

"And everybody down there," Christa went back to questioning, gesturing to your group with her head. "They're cool?"

Clementine looked nervous... and a little sad. You sighed and gently pulled her further against you, running your hand through her soft hair. You looked up to Ryan and gave him a doubtful look. His eyes had darkened.

"Kenny lost his wife and kid." He mumbled, casting his gaze to the ground.

"Man." The next mumble came from Omid. Ryan lifted his gaze to meet the other man's, who gave him a sorry look. "How long ago?"

"What time is it now?" Ryan asked.

Omid shrugged, and quickly looked to Christa. "I dunno, uh... four?"

Ryan hummed. "Then about two hours ago." He grumbled.

Christa looked sad. "God damn..." She tore her gaze away. For a minute, you were wondering if she was looking to her stomach. Then you shook your head. No way. She was looking at the ground. Why would she be looking at her stomach in sorrow?

"We're sorry for anything that's happened to you guys." Omid said. He then smiled. "The train is awesome, though."

"That tank is your real problem," Christa butt-in, gesturing to the tank of gas that was hanging over the side of the bridge. "We're happy to help you out, but if we see anything we don't like," She turned to you three and frowned. "then we're moving on. Alone."

"We'd appreciate the help." Ryan agreed.

Omid blinked, and then sighed. "You can't just blast through it, huh?" He asked.

"_If_ you could get it down, the rest would probably be pretty easy." Christa huffed.

"We'll start there." Ryan nodded.

Christa's brows unfurrowed, but she didn't quite smile (much to your personal irritation). She looked back and fourth between you and the man beside you.

"We'll come down and settle in."

_Cry's P.O.V._

The group looked a little weary as you, [Your Name], Clementine, Omid, and Christa approached. Everyone but Felix seemed to be reluctant on letting their guard down... however, the blonde Swede seemed overjoyed to see the couple. A big smile had spread across his face, and he had given them a friendly wave. Omid waved back, his own smile on his face.

"Guys, this is Omid and Christa." I told the group, speaking smooth and calmly.

When the group didn't answer, Omid gave a nervous cough. "Not big on welcomes..." He muttered. [Your Name] turned to him and gave him a sorry look.

"Like we said before, it's... been a bad day."

"We wanted to say hi," Omid spoke up, smiling at the group. "And that your train is pretty cool!"

"The plan is to cut that tanker down and be on our way." I told the group. Kenny gave a doubtful expression and crossed his arms... much like Christa had done up on the bridge. He had a sad look in his gaze, and I felt a pang of sympathy.

"Seems like plan enough to me..." The redneck finally mumbled.

Omid turned to me and smiled. "Wanna start in on that tanker?" He asked.

Christa suddenly stepped toward Clementine. I eyed her cautiously, and she caught my gaze. We shared a little gaze of trust and distrust. I wasn't about to let a stranger get too close to Clem... not after what we went through at the dairy, and with the bandits. I watched as she forced a smile.

"I'll get to know the girl for a minute, if you don't mind." She said.

"And let me show you how this thing works... in case something happens." Kenny spoke next, his voice soft, broken, and drawn-out. I gave him a concerned gaze, but it was [Your Name] who spoke next.

"Are you sure, Ken?" She asked. Kenny gave a glum sigh.

"It's probably for the best..." He mumbled. He turned and began to climb up the steps of the train, and without looking over his shoulder, he called, "And someone might want to have a look at that station back there, too."

"Sounds great!" Omid piped up. He trotted after Kenny. "Let's do this thing."

Everyone made their way to their own spots and began to do their own thing. Omid went with Kenny to learn how to control the train. Ben and Chuck went toward the back of the train to chat. Christa and Clementine sat on a curb together and began to get to know each other. The only people left were me, Felix, and [Your Name]. The three of us looked to each other, before, at the same time, all looking toward the station in the distance.

"I'll go check out the station." Felix offered. I turned to look to him. There was a genuine smile on his face. I tilted my head to the side.

"You sure, Pewds? The Princess or I can go with you, if you like."

He slowly shook his head, then winked at me. "That's okay. You guys need to stay here and explore the bridge up there. There might be a couple handy things we could use when we're actually ready to cut the tank. I'll go to the station on my own and check it out."

I blinked, and then crossed my arms. "You sure?" I repeated. He laughed.

"I'm sure, Cry!" He nodded. "I'll be quick about it, too. In and out." He then lowered his breath and mumbled. It was too soft for me to hear, but I just _know_ he said _That's-What-She-Said_.

I slowly nodded, and then took hold of [Your Name]'s hand. "Okay. The Princess and I will check out the bridge again for anything useful. You check out the station, and be back as quick as you can." I then paused, before reaching to my belt and pulling my hand-gun from it's holder. I handed it to him. "And take this, in case you run into any trouble."

"Will do." Felix agreed.

_Felix's P.O.V._

And somehow, Clementine had joined my side.

I'd been on my way to the station, and she'd stopped to ask if she could come with me. Christa seemed a little upset by this, but she didn't stop the girl. I gave the young one a definite 'yes', and the two of us had began walking toward the train-station. We chatted along the way, talking about our lives before the apocalypse, or played games like I-Spy. Eventually, we got onto the subject of my girlfriend, and... I kind of grew quiet.

She sensed my discomfort and asked if I was okay, which of 'course, I had to smile, and reassure her that I was. But inside, I still feel pain. I watch Cry and [Your Name] act so happy together, and it makes me miss my old life, back when I had a certain someone to crawl into bed with at night.

Marzia... my girlfriend. The day this all started, she and I got separated. I never did find her. I searched and searched, but she'd never been found. Cry and [Your Name] tried to help me move on... and... I think playing the "same old PewDiePie" act is working.

Since I lost Marzia, I've just assumed her dead as a walker. Dead and not coming back. ...God, I miss her...

When we reached the station, Clementine had sprinted ahead of me. I took my time examining the paintings on the station's brick walls as I passed them. When I turned the corner, and reached the front door of the building, I watched Clementine as she tried to open up the door. My eyes widened a little, and I shook my head at the scene.

"You should wait for me before trying to open doors, bro." I told her. She quickly took her hand off of the handle and turned to me, giving me a slightly nervous look. Her cute eyes shined under the sunlight. She reached up and held her arm, holding it in an awkward gesture.

"Sorry." She told me. I lightly smiled at her, but shook my head again.

"Don't apologize," I told her. "Luckily, it's locked. We'll get better at working together."

Clementine nodded, and then moved out of the way so I could get to the door. I eyed the door cautiously at first, before trying to open it myself. Just as I'd confirmed before, the door was locked. I then braced my palms against the wood and pushed against it, but the entrance didn't move. It wasn't long before Clementine's voice piped up again.

"The window is open up there." She told me. I looked to her, and then looked up at the window, mentally slapping myself for my stupidity. The window was small, but big enough for Clementine to fit through. However, I didn't want her toppling down to the ground and causing a scene for whatever could have been inside, so instead, I suggested a different approach.

"Maybe you could look in, Clem?" I asked. She smiled and slowly nodded. I got into a crouching position, and when she was ready, she lifted herself up and climbed onto my shoulders. The back of her heel lightly kicked my chest when she was ready to go up. As I stood, I did it slowly, not wanting to make her fall over. It wasn't long before reaching her arms in and doing something. I stopped paying attention to her as I tried to think of different ways to get inside.

"Maybe we can find a key, or figure out a way to knock this door down." I mumbled to myself. "Kenny might have me pick the lock... which actually might work now that we-"

There was a sudden click.

"I think I opened it!" Clementine called.

Son of a bitch.

"Really?" I asked.

"I think so!" Clementine called down. I gently hoisted her off of my shoulders and onto the ground again, before trying to twist the knob. It twisted all the way, giving me the sign that it was open. I took hold of the gun on my belt and slipped it out, holding it in my hand, sliding my finger over the trigger as I prepared. Then, I quickly opened the door and aimed my gun, looking around the room.

The room was filled with boxes and other sorts of things like that, and was separated in the middle by metal bars. There were cobwebs and dust everywhere, but it was better than walkers. I sighed and lowered my gun, before walking in. Clementine held the door open for light as I ventured further into the building and looked around.

I then turned to Clementine and pulled a wrench from my belt (which I had gotten from the train) and walked over to her. She moved out of the way, and I stuck the wrench between the ground and the bottom of the door. The door slid a little, but then halted, and stayed open. I gave a victorious smile and looked back to Clementine, before beckoning her to my side.

When she was close enough, we walked into the building again, and my eyes landed on a shiny, oh-so-convenient blow-torch.

On the other side of the room.

On the other side of the locked and barred doors.

I gave a huff of irritation and crossed my arms.

"That's exactly what we need." I noted out loud. Clementine blinked.

"Over there?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. We need to get in there and get that blow-torch."

"How about the holes up there?" Clementine asked. I turned to her, and followed the direction her eyes were looking. Just above the barred wall, there were small holes big enough for her to fit through. I blinked.

"This just gets better and better." I said.

"We're lucky I'm so little!" Clementine giggled. I smiled to her.

"Yeah... we are." I crouched down, and she got onto my shoulders. When she was ready, I boosted her up, and she went through the hole, and dropped down onto the other side. When she was over, she turned to me and smiled. I smiled back, then gestured toward the shelves behind her, where a shiny key lay.

"Go on ahead and grab the keys, Clemmy-Clue." I told her.

She nodded... but then her gaze fixed behind me. Her smile faded completely and she gasped, raising her hands to her mouth, eyes widening and an expression filled with horror. I blinked as she screamed, "TURN AROUND!", and then spun.

A walker was inches away from my face. I gasped and reached for my gun, but as I got it ready, another walker attacked me from the left, knocking the gun from my hands. I watched as it slid to Clementine's side of the room. I cursed under my breath and passed the walkers, sprinting toward the door.

I then leaned down and grabbed the wrench pried between the ground and the door, and spun around again. The first walker quickly stumbled toward me. I threw my arm forward and roughly nailed the walker in the head with the wrench, and then smacked it again. It damaged the brain, and the walker went down. I then aimed to get the other one, but it was too quick, and shoved itself into me.

My back hit the wall, and I struggled, holding it's arms as it tried to bite and scratch. Finally, the walker slipped with it's grip, and I took the opportunity, bashing it again and again on the head. It went down, and... stopped moving. I gave a sigh of relief and dropped the wrench to the ground, before looking to Clementine.

Her eyes were wide with fear. In her hands, she held a gun, and it was aimed toward the walker's direction. Her whole body was shaking with fear. I sighed and moved forward, raising a hand, hoping she'd set the gun down before she'd hurt herself.

"It's okay, it's okay..." I told her. "Everything's fine."

She slowly lowered the gun and gave a relieved sigh, before looking to me with slightly scared and tired eyes. I smiled at her and went to speak again, before my eyes noticed something at their corners. A figure in the darkness slowly began to limp toward Clementine on HER side of the room, growling lightly. It's soulless eyes shined. My eyes widened. Clementine spun around and gasped. I growled.

"KEYS. NOW!" I told her. She sprang into action, running forward and grabbing the keys. The walker limped closer and closer to her. She spun around and ran back to me, thrusting her hand through the bars.

"HERE!" She screamed. I snatched the keys and aimed to undo the lock... and they slipped from my grasp. I yelped, fear running through me and picked them up again, this time successfully opening the door. When I did, I yanked Clementine out, shoved her behind me, snatched the gun from her hands, pointed it at the walker, and pulled the trigger. It died within moments.

"G-God damn..." I mumbled, my heart pounding.

"That didn't go so good..." Clementine mumbled back.

"No..." I responded. "It did not go so good." I then turned to her and smiled, before placing a hand on her shoulder. "But everything's okay. We're okay."

She smiled up at me, but then the two of us jumped as a sudden voice sounded on the outside of the door.

"What's going on?" The voice asked. "I thought I heard gun-shot."

Christa.

"We're fine!" I called back, giving a breathy sigh.

Christa entered the room, a glare on her face. She looked around, eyeing the three dead walkers curiously. There was no surprise or fear on her face. Only anger or sternness. She looked up to me again and frowned.

"You and an eight year old versus three of them, huh?" She asked.

I frowned back at her. "We handled it."

"Yeah," Christa agreed, her frown deepening. "And what if you hadn't?" She then sighed and turned away. "I'm gonna go see if the noise caused us any problems." She began to walk toward the door... and as she put her hand on the knob, she stopped. She then looked over her shoulder at me again, and continued to frown.

"I hope you, Cry, and [Your Name] know what you're doing with her." She muttered.

I frowned, and ground my teeth together, lightly clenching my fists. "We're still alive, aren't we?"

She sighed. "Yeah, you are." She then turned and exited the building, shutting the door behind her.

I made my way over to the blow-torch and grabbed it. Clementine remained on the other side of the bars, fearful of going to what was her side of the room again. I couldn't blame her for feeling bad. I blamed myself. I should have checked to make sure there was nothing back there first.

As I turned around and held the heavy tank in my arms, she watched me, before suggesting we leave. I made my way forward, but stopped at the door, setting the torch down and turning around. Slowly, I crouched, and as she came close, I ran a hand through her hair.

"Clemmy, what did we learn?" I asked her. She seemed a little struck by the question, not really sure how to answer. Then, her bright eyes dimmed, and she looked away.

"That I'm not ready for a gun." She mumbled. I couldn't help but lightly chuckle and slip a finger under her chin, and tilt her head to meet my gaze. I gave a warming smile.

"We learned not to be afraid." I told her. "They should have got us, man. But _we_ got_ them_."

Clementine lightly smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Felix."

I pat her shoulder. "Fear is the thing that will kill us. You understand, Clemmy-Clue?"

"I do." She told me.

_Your P.O.V._

"I found a blow-torch in the station!" Felix's voice called from below. "Should make quick work of the coupling up there!"

You smiled as his tone lifted into the air and into your ears. You walked away from an abandoned truck, having just acquired a handy roll of yellow duct-tape from it's back. You made your way to the side of the bridge and cast your gaze over, your eyes landing on the bodies of Felix and Clementine as they stopped between the bridge and the train.

In his hands, Felix held a heavy-looking blow-torch, and was smiling victoriously at Omid, who was making his way out of the train's driver's cart. Omid smiled back, with the same amount of victory and enthusiasm. You felt your own smile creep up onto your face. Clementine stood boldly beside him, her arms limp at her sides.

"Excellent!" Omid laughed as he approached Felix. "I'll come up there with you, and you, me, Cry, and [Your Name] can see what we can do."

Clementine looked a little hurt that she wasn't included, but you knew she knew it was because of her age. Being a child make her valuable. She was the possible key to restoring the Earth how it was before, and you wanted to keep her protected. That, and, no one wanted to see her injured, anyway.

So instead, she sent you a small smile before racing off toward Ben and Chuck. Felix and Omid rather quickly made their way to the bridge (don't ask how the hell they were able to get the blow-torch up) and set the torch beside the tipped-over truck, with the tank hanging over the edge. Felix flashed you a smile, and then turned to Ryan.

The dark-blue-eyed brunette had been exploring the tipped-over truck, trying to find other solutions while everyone else had gone and done their own thing. You'd helped Ryan a little, but you were more interested in finding things that could come in handy later. Now, Ryan was facing Felix, and giving a smile as he looked to the blow-torch.

"That's perfect!" He told Felix. "We'll get this thing out of the way in no time!"

Felix grinned, and set the blow-torch down as close to the hitch of the truck as he could get. Everyone backed away a little as he began to turn on the torch. As he twisted the nozzle... no fire came. Just gas. You tilted your head to the side in confusion, before Felix frowned and cursed under his breath.

"What's up?" Omid asked. Felix stood and turned to the black man.

"The hose has a leak in it." Felix informed. Omid's eyes widened.

"T-Turn it off, dude! I don't want my eyebrows burned off!"

Felix rolled his eyes at Omid's concern and reached down to turn off the thing. As he did, he slid his hand along the skinny pipe of the torch, and eventually found the hole with gas leaking through. He sighed, and looked around, his eyes flicking between the three people around him.

"Anyone got any gum or something?" He asked.

You thought for a moment, watching as Ryan and Omid shrugged and shook their heads. You then pulled the handy-dandy yellow tape from your green-coated pocket and tossed it to Felix. Felix caught the roll of tape rather gracefully (and by gracefully, I mean, he fumbled and nearly let it fall off of the bridge) and looked to you with a grateful look. After thanking you, he closed up the tear in the pipe with the tape, before tossing the roll back to you, and standing up.

He then turned the nozzle back on, and flame immediately came from the hose. You watched with awe, and Ryan mumbled, "Wow! Look at it go!". Felix had made his way toward the truck and began to burn through the hitch. He'd mumbled something too soft for you to hear. Your eyes suddenly widened as the truck began to edge toward the bridge... toward his body.

You went to move, but Omid was quicker, wrapping his arms around Felix's slender figure and pulling him to the safe side of the bridge. Right as he did, the truck moved, and if Felix had been standing there, it would have knocked him over. Felix blinked for a moment, before wiggling out of Omid's hold.

"Whoa... thanks." He said.

"Don't worry about it." Omid laughed.

"This thing is hanging by a thread," Ryan suddenly chimed in, gesturing to the truck. "The smallest cut, and it'll go!"

Felix gave a shy smile, and then you watched as he hid behind you. You rose your eyebrow in question, as Ryan and Omid also did, but the three of you were quick to receive an explanation. "I'm not going to do that again," Felix mumbled. "I don't want to fall." The three of you rolled your eyes at him, before Ryan turned to Omid.

"Well, since Felix is a pussy and the hitch is a bit too far from us now, I'm gonna hold you over the bridge, and you're gonna cut the hitch while I hold on."

Omid's eyes widened. "What?!" He asked. "The hell you are!"

OoOoOoO

"You really are a son of a bitch, aren't you?!" Omid whined, his body dangling over the ledge as he nervously began cutting through the hitch of the truck. You watched with amusement, and also slight fear for Omid's safety. Ryan just grunted behind him.

"Shut up and start cutting!" He ordered, holding tightly onto his new friend. You smiled at the team-work that was going on, before turning to Felix. You were planning to ask him how he was doing, but the blonde was focused on something else. He was looking toward the direction the train had come from, and all color began to drain from his face. You looked to the same direction he was looking... and your breath cut short.

Walkers.

Thousands of them.

Running _toward_ your group. It'd been the train's noise that had brought them, you were sure of it. Each one looked hungry and eager to grab onto some flesh. Ben's voice screamed from the back of the train, and you watched as everyone began to pile into the train. Kenny shouted up at the little group upon the bridge, before sprinting into the train with Christa at his side. Ryan commented on how many there must have been. Omid looked terrified.

"Fuck! Omid!" Ryan screamed. "CUT! CUT!"

"I AM!" Omid screamed back. He then paused. "IT'S GOING! PULL ME UP!"

Ryan seemed to use all of his strength and yanked Omid back. Omid dropped the torch as he was pulled back, and the four of you watched as the tank flew to the side. It landed safely out of the way of the tracks, but... crushed the bridge that could have led to your freedom with it. Your heart dropped a little, and worry began to rise inside you. You looked to Ryan with wide eyes. Ryan looked back, before commanding Kenny to start the train. The redneck must have heard him over the noise, because the train started up and began to move.

"Shit!" Omid cursed. "What the hell do we do now?!"

You watched as Felix suddenly sprinted from your side, going to the other side of the bridge, which the train was currently passing. He lifted himself upon the tiny fenced wall and called back,

"We gotta jump!"

You, Ryan, and Omid were all on the fence in a matter of moments. Felix had jumped, even though Omid had said it was a bad idea, and landed safely on the train. The blonde then ran forward, before sliding into the boxcar. You looked to Ryan, but he gave you a nod, confirming you should go. It scared the fuck out of you, but you didn't waste time and jumped. You landed gracefully upon the train's top, then sprinted forward, and slipped into the boxcar. You waited for Ryan, next. There was a thud, and then Ryan slipped in. And then... there was a thud... and then a scream. Christa's eyes widened.

"Omid!" She screamed. You watched with wide eyes as she hopped out of the boxcar and sprinted after him. It wasn't long before the two of them were side by side, running along with the train's slow pace (which was slowly beginning to pick up speed). Omid was limping, and you knew he needed help more than Christa. You moved to grab him, but Ryan was quicker, diving forward and snatching Omid's arm before pulling him into the boxcar. Omid screamed.

"No!" He gasped. "Her, not me!" He then looked to Christa, and you watched as the train picked up too much speed, and she began to loose agility. He gasped. "CHRISTA, NOO!" He then got into Ryan's face and snarled, "YOU PIECE OF SHIT! SHE'S A WOMAN! DON'T YOU KNOW SHE'S P-"

A sudden grunt grabbed your attention. Everyone in the boxcar looked to Christa, and watched as the female's slender figure jumped into the boxcar. She heavily panted and sat there for a moment. Omid gave a relieved sigh and moved forward, pulling his girlfriend into his arms. "Baby..." He whispered.

Christa sighed. "It's okay, honey." She whispered. "I'm okay."

You got up from where you sat and moved toward the entrance of the boxcar, grabbing the wall for support as you looked over toward the bridge. The train was picking up pace, leaving the walkers in the dust. But there were thousands of them. _Thousands_. Each one was snarling and spitting, ready to get at whatever they could get their hands on. You suddenly felt a couple arms wrap around you. You slowly turned around and looked up into Ryan's worried gaze.

"You okay?" He whispered. "Are you hurt?"

You slowly shook your head. "I'm fine..." You mumbled. He gave a relieved sigh and slowly leaned forward, pecking a quick kiss on your lips, before looking out toward the walkers. You turned and looked back, too, but his arms didn't leave your sides.

_Cry's P.O.V._

The sun was setting behind the the buildings of the city. That's right. The buildings of the _city_. Savannah. Clementine had curled up into a chair in the driver's-cart and fell asleep, but that didn't stop me from smiling at her. It wouldn't be long till she woke up and discovered how close we were to where she wanted to be.

I gazed out at the city from behind Kenny, who sat in the driver's seat. [Your Name] was beside Clementine. She was smiling as well, but it wasn't at the beautiful scene of the sunset, or the city. Her smile was a bit more sad... and weak. In her hands, she'd held a drawing that Clementine had drawn. I tilted my head to the side in curiosity and stepped beside her, wrapping one of my arms around her shoulders as I stared down at the picture.

The paper was a drawing, drawn from different colored crayons. It was Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck holding hands in a flowery field. I felt my heart swell.

"Next stop, the Atlantic." Kenny mumbled from where he sat in the driver's seat. [Your Name] turned away from me and slipped the picture back into Clementine's cute little purple back-pack, before standing again. I turned to look to Kenny, and saw a look of slight sorrow on his face. I sighed.

"We're going to look for Clementine's parents when we get there." I told him.

"I thought they were dead." Kenny whispered, in case Clementine could hear him through her sleep. I slightly shrugged at the redneck.

"Looking for them, then." I said.

Kenny frowned at me. "That's not the plan." He huffed.

I frowned back. "It's _our_ plan." I told him. "My _family's_ plan. The three of us talked it through."

I felt [Your Name] tense beside me, at the mention of the three of us being a family. At first, I wondered if she didn't like the term. But then I remembered... Kenny had lost his own family. It may have not been the right thing to say to him right then. I looked to him again and sighed.

"You'll be alright." I told him. He looked totally depressed.

"I'll be alive, I guess." He mumbled. "Blood in my heart... blood in my brain, at least."

"She's out cold like I've never seen..." [Your Name] suddenly whispered. I turned to look to Clementine, and smiled at how cute she looked while she slept. I reached out a hand to stroke her hair, then hesitated as a sudden noise sounded. It sounded... familiar. I watched as [Your Name] moved away from my side and bent down, retrieving the Walkie-Talkie from it's spot in the little girl's backpack. Clementine remained asleep. The three of us, Kenny included, eyed the Talkie wearily, and then tensed as a voice sounded.

_"Can't wait for you to get to Savannah, Clementine. I've got your parents right here! And you be sure to find me, whether [Your Name] and Cry want you to or not. Now, what I need-"_

The transmission cut off there. Everyone, including Kenny, who gotten up from the driver's seat and moved over, stared at the small device with wide eyes.

"I thought you said that fuckin' thing was broken!" Kenny gasped.

Slowly, [Your Name] turned around, and lifted her worried and surprised gaze to meet mine. She held onto the Talkie tightly.

_ "So did we..."_


	21. Chapter 21

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

_**For Whom The Bell Tolls**_

_Your P.O.V._

The streets were quiet, not a walker or survivor to be seen. Not even the sounds of birds tweeting or wind howling was heard. The buildings were still. Cars were abandoned. The roads were cluttered with litter, blood, and filth... but there was nothing that was ready to chow down on faces. This wasn't what your group was expecting when you'd exited the train and walked into the station.

The cute-sticker-covered Walkie Talkie had been shoved into your pocket, but left on, in case anything else was to come through. You'd held tightly onto the rifle that Lilly was forced to leave behind when she had been kicked off of the RV. It was the same rifle that belonged to Andy St. John. And now, it was in your hands, ready to kill whatever dared get in the way of your group.

Around you, everyone stayed together as they helped one-another get through the streets. Omid's leg was fucked, and he had to use Christa's support to get around. He wasn't carried, like Ryan had once done with you long ago, but he limped. With each step, he cringed with pain, but he continued to refuse any help that was offered. Only a little ways away from the black couple, Chuck and Ben walked together. They seemed to have bonded over the time Chuck had been around, and you were grateful for that.

Kenny was ahead of you by a couple inches, head looking left and right as he scanned the streets. Beside him, Felix was armed with a small hand-gun, and ready. Ryan walked at your left, and to your right, an upset Clementine trudged along. She kept looking up to you with an expectant gaze, her eyes wide, like a puppy. You had to ignore her. As much as it killed you to make her this upset, you knew that whoever was on her Talkie had been dangerous. And she hadn't even bothered to tell you or Ryan that she'd been talking to anyone!

"Can't I just hold it?" Her little voice sounded, her tone a bit hopeful, yet whiny. You glanced to her out of the corner of your eye, and lightly frowned. You huffed and looked away. Beside you, Ryan slipped his fingers into yours, and squeezed your hand.

"Just for a little while?" Clementine asked. "We're getting really close to where my Mom and Dad are. Maybe I can-"

"Not now, Clementine." You interrupted, trying to sound as calm as possible... even though you were pissed. "Maybe in a little while, okay?"

A sigh came from Clementine's direction, but she didn't answer. She was upset at you for taking it away. But you had to. You couldn't risk her doing this sort of thing. Not only was it dangerous for herself, but it was also dangerous for the group. You guys didn't know who the person was. An adult man? What if he was some kind of pervert? Those type of people were still out there. You knew. You'd had experience with one.

"How's Omid?" Ryan looked over to Christa and Omid as he spoke, his eyes laying upon the black man's leg. Omid limped beside Christa and gave a slight thumbs up, but you knew what he was going through was painful as hell.

"His leg's pretty bad..." Christa's soft tone replied.

"I'm fine." Omid sighed. Christa frowned at her boyfriend's comment.

"You're not fine!" She snapped. "You need to rest!" She looked up to Kenny. "He needs to rest!"

You sighed and looked to Kenny yourself. You were tired. You longed for a nice hot shower, and a nap. Maybe, if you were lucky, you'd have some time to bathe yourself in the ocean before your group head out there. You didn't have anything to clean yourself with, but you couldn't stand the dry feeling you'd been feeling for the past couple days. You missed the cold showers at the motor-inn.

"Kenny, how much farther to the river front?" Ryan asked. Kenny lightly shrugged.

"Should be just a few more blocks up ahead." He mumbled, his voice sounding depressed and drawn-out.

"And there'll be boats there?" Christa asked.

"There sure as hell better be." You muttered to the woman.

"There'll be boats." Kenny mumbled. "Have to be. _Have_ to be."

Suddenly, Ben piped up from where he walked. "It'll be okay. Kenny knows what he's doing."

The group continued walking, but at the sound of a large bell ringing, all of you skid to a halt. Before you even registered it, Ryan's arms had come around you and Clementine and pulled you close, protecting you, as he would his family. Everyone looked around, and you suddenly lifted your gaze to meet the sight of a bell swinging back and fourth, atop a church.

"Maybe this city's not so dead after all..." Christa mumbled.

"Keep moving." Kenny suddenly turned around. "No one is ringing that bell. It's automatic. On a timer."

Felix blinked, before looking to the watch fastened to his right hand. "What kind of bell goes off at twenty-past the hour?" He asked.

You looked back up to the church-bell again, and watched as it swayed back and fourth. You were beginning to wonder when it would stop... and then your eyes flicked to the shadowed figure running along the top of the building. Your eyes widened.

"Someone's up there!" You exclaimed, raising your arm and pointing to the building. Surprised murmurs and mumbles came from the rest of the group as they lifted their gazes to meet the church. There was nothing.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked. "I don't see anything..."

"I know what I saw!" You snapped. You broke away from Ryan's hold and turned to face your group, frowning. "I'm telling you, I saw someone up in that bell-tower! Someone _alive_!"

Suddenly, the Talkie chimed in behind you. Your eyes widened, and you quickly pulled it from your pocket. You and your group eyed it with interest as it began to make noise, as if someone was trying to get a-hold. Clementine's eyes were wide with nervousness.

_"If I were you, I'd get out of the street. Now."_

"I thought you said that thing didn't work!" Christa frowned. You frowned back, and moved to speak, but gasped as Ryan suddenly snatched the Talkie from your hands. He gave you a slightly apologetic glance, before holding down the button and raising the Talkie to his mouth.

"Who the hell is this?!" He demanded.

Suddenly, the reception gave out. Ryan grumbled and tried to speak, but there was no reply. He then looked up to the rest of the group with a worried gaze.

"What the hell was that?" Omid broke the silence that had been forming. "Is someone trying to fuck with us?"

"It sounded more like a warning..." Ben spoke softly. You blinked at the teenager and tilted your head to the side, but suddenly, Chuck interrupted whatever thoughts was about to cross your mind.

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls..." Chuck whispered. Kenny grumbled and moved to the old man's side.

"What are you yammerin' on about?" He asked. Suddenly, the redneck's face fell... along with everyone else's. Your eyes went wide. Walkers were quickly running toward your group, arms outstretched, jaws opened wide. They were coming from all different directions, tearing down the streets or emerging from the shadows. Absolute fear went through you. You grabbed Clementine.

"It tolls for thee." Chuck finished.

Everyone began to shake as they looked around, trying to find a way out. They all held their weapons close, and their loved ones closer. You slid the Talkie back into your pocket. Clementine had wiggled away from your hold, but you hadn't noticed. Suddenly, Ryan screamed.

"EVERYBODY. RUN!"

At the same time, everyone took off toward one direction... the only direction walkers weren't coming from, which is away from the way the water was. Everyone sprinted as they aimed to get away from the on-coming walkers. However, the walkers were quick. Ryan, Felix, Christa, Ben, and Kenny were firing shots from their hand-guns at different walkers as they got too close. Chuck was bashing heads in with his shovel. You were carrying a rifle, but you knew how difficult it was to run and shoot with one, so you didn't.

Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you watched as a walker on the ground reached out and snatched Kenny's leg. The redneck grunted as his body slammed to the ground. You gasped and skid to a halt. You rose your rifle and aimed, before shooting the walker in the head right as it aimed to bite your friend. Kenny sent you a grateful gaze as you ran to him and helped him up.

"Thanks, [Your-]"

"BEN!"

"CLEMENTINE!"

Your eyes widened, and you spun around. Ryan was battling a walker that had latched onto him and tried to bite. Ryan was struggling to keep it away, but he was beginning to fail. A little ways away from him, Ben and Clementine were against a wall, walkers surrounding them. You gasped, and ran forward... and steered off toward Ryan.

"Ben, help her!" You screamed. As you ran, Ben sent you a pathetic blue-eyed gaze, before leaving Clementine's side and tearing off into a different direction. You gasped and skid to a halt.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" You screamed. Clementine cried out from fear as walkers began to get too close.

Suddenly, Kenny fired at the walker attacking Ryan, and the blue-eyed young ex-gamer sprinted after Clementine. You stayed where you were and rose your gun, beginning to shoot at walkers surrounding your little girl. Ryan was suddenly stumbling, slipping and then falling, his gun sliding away. His eyes grew wide.

"NO!" He screamed.

"CLEMENTINE!" You screamed. You watched with horror as a walker sprinted to Clementine, and aimed to grab her arm. But before she could, a sudden figure bashed the head in with their blunt object. The walker fell to the ground. Clementine's savior was none other than Chuck-The-Most-Amazing-Person-Ever. He began to fight off the walkers, and when it was clear, Clementine sprinted toward Ryan. Ryan got up and pulled her into his arms. You sprinted forward, and after picking up Ryan's gun off of the ground, you were pulled into the hug. Ryan kissed the top of Clementine's head, before looking around.

"Get here the hell out of here!" Chuck called. "I'll catch up with you!"

You nodded to the old man, and turned to Ryan. You thrust your rifle into his arms, before picking Clementine up. The two of you nodded to each other, and then took off in the direction the group had gone. Kenny was running, his fists balled at his sides.

"Move your asses!" He called to the group. "River Street's right up ahead!"

"That's not all!" Ben called. The teenager was right. More walkers were up ahead now, racing toward your group. Kenny snarled and yelled.

"OH, GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!"

"Wait!" Christa gasped. "Where the hell is Chuck?"

All of you turned to look back at Chuck, who was continuing to fight walkers. Ben almost looked like he was going to suggest going after him, but your group couldn't take that risk. Ryan piped up beside you.

"He's fine! Let's go!"

"I'll be fine!" Chuck called. "Just go!"

Your group turned and sprinted down an ally way that lead into another neighborhood. There were no walkers on this street, but this didn't slow you guys down. Your group tore through a path way that was made by two long brick walls, that eventually led to a gate. Kenny opened the gate, and your group piled through.

He then shut and locked it behind him. Your group pulled into the back yard of the house you'd decided to take shelter at, and stopped to catch a breath. You put Clementine down before groaning. Ryan walked up to you and gave you a small hug and a kiss on the cheek, glad that you were okay.

"OW!"

You pulled away from Ryan and turned around, watching as Omid fell to the ground. Christa was crouched at his side in moments. Omid groaned as he picked himself up into a sitting position and leaned against the brick wall. You gave a worried noise.

"You okay?" You asked. Omid slowly nodded.

"I..." He panted. "I'm fine."

"You've opened your wound!" Christa gasped, feeling around Omid's leg. "You're bleeding!" She paused, and then looked to you and Ryan. "Shit, it's gonna get infected. We need to get him inside. Clean him up."

Ryan nodded and darted toward Kenny. The redneck was trying to open up the boarded back door. Ben and Felix stood behind him, looking concerned.

"Kenny, how's that door comin'?" Ryan asked.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it!" Kenny snapped.

"Well, work faster, would you?!" Christa snapped. "It won't be long until those things find us and get inside. You know they can smell blood!"

Kenny growled. "Lady, I ain't the one who's bleedin!"

"Chill out!" You suddenly snapped. "I'll find us a way in."

_Cry's P.O.V._

Well, we got in, but it wasn't very easy. I'll just make this short... because I don't think I have the heart to explain it. One dead dog head and one brave Clementine later, the door was opened, and everyone was piling into the house. Christa and Omid had immediately gone to the living-room to get him on the couch. Kenny and Ben went to check the second story of the house for any walkers or food.

Felix, [Your Name], and I scoped out the entire downstairs as we searched for any walkers or anything useful. When we found nothing besides a broom, a bag of dog food and a bottle of liquor (which [Your Name] forbid me from touching), we settled down. We had made our way into the living-room where Christa, Omid, and Clementine sat. Omid and Christa looked a little more at ease, but when Clementine saw her Talkie sticking out of [Your Name]'s pocket, she looked a little upset.

"Well, the place doesn't have much." [Your Name] mumbled. "We should be okay here for a while... or at least until it quiets down outside."

Surprisingly, Christa sent a smile up to [Your Name]. "Good." She nodded. "Thanks."

On the couch, Omid had fallen asleep, his hands folded and on his stomach, his head turned to the side. I watched him curiously as he rested, watching his chest slowly heave up and down.

"Is he okay?" I asked. Christa looked down to her lover... and lightly sighed.

"Yeah, for now." She hummed. "But I'm really worried his leg might have gotten infected. I don't suppose you turned up any meds when you were poking around?"

"No, nothing." Felix answered for me. "Sorry."

Christa nodded, rather quickly accepting the fact that there were no meds, before turning to Clementine. "I was just asking Clementine if she knows who the man on her radio is. It's okay, honey. You can tell us. Who is he? What does he want?"

We all turned to look at Clementine, who was sending her nervous and shame-filled gaze away. When she realized we wouldn't let go of the subject, she looked up to me with curious eyes. I gave her a gentle smile... though it was slightly forced.

"It's okay, Clementine." I told her. "Go ahead. You're not in any trouble."

Clementine hesitated, and then took a breath. "It's just a friend. I don't think he wants to hurt us." She said.

"What has he been saying to you?" Christa asked. She then crossed her arms. "What have _you_ been saying to _him_?"

"I told him that I was trying to find my parents, and that they were in Savannah." She replied, still sounding a little nervous. "He really seems nice. I think he wants to help me find them."

Christa lightly scoffed. "Honey, trust me, that's not what he wants." She started. "He-"

"CRY!"

Ben's voice suddenly called my title from the stairs. I left the small group's side and tore through the house, running to the stairs. When I arrived, Ben was leaning over the railing, a frantic look on his face.

"Cry, you need to get up here, _now._" He demanded.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Ben nervously swallowed. "I-It's Kenny..."

My eyes slowly widened. Was he okay?! I turned around to see a concerned [Your Name] standing behind me. I told her to look after Clementine, before I raced up the stairs with Ben. She did as she was told, and joined Clementine back in the living-room. As the light-haired teenager and I reached the top of the stairs, he gestured to the ceiling, toward the attic. I pair of stairs was hanging from the small, square hole in the ceiling. I stared up at it with interest.

"Kenny said he thought he heard something up there, and went to go look." Ben whispered.

"He's up there?" I asked.

"I can't get him to come down." Ben whimpered.

I approached the stairs slowly, and whispered "Stay here." to Ben, before making my way up. I made sure to keep my steps quiet and quick, and it wasn't long before I was up in the attic. Kenny was sitting on his knees, his butt against his legs, his arms limp at his sides. He was staring at something in the attic, and... looked upset. I approached slowly, and let my eyes wander forward.

A walker... that looked just like Duck... was getting to it's shaky, boney feet. It wore nothing but it's underwear. It had brown eyes... just like Duck, and brown hair... just like Duck. It tried to walk forward, but failed and stumbled, falling to the ground, right in front of Kenny. My eyes grew a little wider.

"Kinda looks like Duck, don't he?" Kenny whispered.

"It's just a kid..." I whispered. "What the hell happened to him...?"

"Ain't nothin' on him." Kenny mumbled. "Musta been hiding up here, and... starved to death."

The walker struggled to move forward, but it failed, and just lay there pathetically. I felt my heart begin to swell with pity.

"I don't know if I can, Cry..." Kenny whispered. "Couldn't do it before... can't do it now..."

I reached out and placed a comforting hand on Kenny's shoulder. "I couldn't ask you to do this, man..." I whispered. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure?" Kenny asked.

I swallowed and slowly turned around.

_"I guess we'll find out."_


	22. Chapter 22

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Two**_

_**A Happy Reunion**_

_Your P.O.V._

You knew Kenny was fine, and you knew that Ryan wouldn't need your help. You couldn't explain how you knew... it was just like a gut feeling. So instead of continuing to be pestered by Christa with her Man-On-The-Radio interrogation, you led Clementine to the back-yard of the house. The grumbles and groans of the walkers had vanished, leaving only the comfort of silence. You and Clementine were happy to know that for once, walkers weren't trying to get at you.

For a while, the two of you explored the back yard. You made sure to keep her away from where Ryan had dug up the dog. Instead, you directed her toward the bird-bath, or the mysterious shed that was locked up... and then... you noticed the plants. Each one was either over-grown or so dead that you couldn't tell if it was a plant or mud. But your eyes had landed on something particular. Something that made you smile.

A rosebush.

You slowly approached the rose-bush and crouched down, plucking one of the prettier ones from the bunch and lifting it to your nose. It brought a lovely-smelling fragrance... something that was nicer to smell than rotting corpses. As you smelled, Clementine approached, and you couldn't help but stick it behind her ear again. She smiled at the action and reached up to feel the gentle pedals. You smiled at her... then reached up and pat her shoulders.

"Clementine..." You mumbled. She looked into your eyes with curiosity and light concern. You continued to smile. "Honey, when we find your parents, I want you to know something. If they don't want us around, that's fine. But if they let us stay... I just want you to know that Cry and I will always be here for you. No matter what."

Clementine slowly nodded. "Promise, [Your Name]?" She asked. "I don't ever want to see you leave, or... die..."

You slowly nodded. "I pr-"

The sound of the door behind you opening grabbed your attention. You turned around and stood, eyes widening as you saw Ryan emerge from the house, carrying a small, boney, dead walker in his arms. He sent you a sorrowful glance, but didn't stop to say something to you. Instead, he crossed the yard and made his way to the dug-up grave. He slipped the boy in beside his dog and began to bury them together.

As he did, Christa had walked out and took Clementine, not wanting her to see as she brought her back in. You let Christa do so and slowly stood, making your way to Ryan's side. His eyes were dark, and his expression was depressed. You sighed and leaned your head on his shoulder as he worked. It wasn't long before the thing was completely buried.

Then, he stuck the shovel in the ground and turned to you. He looked exhausted. There were circles under his eyes. He looked like he could fall over if he took another step. You gave him a look of sympathy and took him into your arms, he buried his face in your shoulder, but he was no where close to crying. He only stayed there a moment while you gently rubbed his back. As you did, you suddenly felt this feeling like... you were being watched. It bothered you. You looked to the fence, and suddenly, you noticed a figure, standing in the shadows on the other side.

Their hands were balled into fists. You gasped, and tore away from Ryan's grip. He gave a confused yelp, but you ignored him and sprinted toward the fence. The figure on the other side jumper and sprinted away. You snarled, and yelled after him.

"HEY. HEY! YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM US!"

You glared at the place where he had taken off, his figure gone... out of your sight. Your hands lightly shook with anger. You knew it was the man on the radio. It _had_ to be him. Suddenly, there were several footsteps sounding behind you. You turned around, to see all of the group (or what was left of the group, anyway) standing there, watching you with wide eyes.

"[Your Name], Cry..." Christa started. "What's goin' on?"

"I saw someone by the fence." You informed. "Watching us."

"A walker?" Ben asked. Ryan and I began to walk toward the group, leaving the fence to itself.

"No," Ryan replied. "Too fast. Took off like a bat out of hell when she spotted him."

"Was it a man or a woman?" Christa asked.

You thought for a moment. "I think it was a man." You admitted. "But I'm not sure. I couldn't see him too well."

"What does it matter?" Ben asked Christa. Christa looked to him.

"I'm trying to see if it's the guy who's following us. The guy on the radio."

Kenny suddenly emerged from the house (weird... you thought he'd come out earlier) and had a sorrowful look on his face. You eyed him curiously.

"Kenny?" I asked. "Are you-"

"I'm fine..." He interrupted, sighing. He didn't look so sure, though. "I'm just... I-I'm fine. What's all the ruckus?"

Behind him, Clementine slowly followed after, weary about what was going on.

"Cry and [Your Name] saw someone watching us from outside." Ben filled Kenny in, crossing his arms.

"What?" Kenny looked surprised, then looked to you and Ryan. "Who?"

"I can't be sure." You mumbled. "They ran off before I could get a good look."

"I-I don't like this one bit." Ben whimpered. "Not one bit."

You wanted to tell Ben to shut up, but hesitated. Christa continued the conversation.

"Me neither. Walkers are one thing, but the thought of someone out there actually stalking us..."

"Alright, that's it!" Kenny suddenly growled. "We've been here long enough. It's time to get back on track. Time to get down to the river, and find ourselves a boat."

"I don't know if Omid's well enough to move yet..." Christa mumbled. Kenny scoffed.

"Well he better get ready," The redneck growled. "Because I'm going down to Riverstreet right now to get a boat."

"I'm with Kenny." You suddenly piped up. "The sooner we get out of here, the better." You noticed Ryan and Clementine tensed. Had you said something wrong?

"Well then, hell! What are we waiting for?" Kenny asked.

"I'll go get my stuff." Ben offered.

"No." Kenny grumbled. "Ben, you'll only slow us down."

Ben crossed his arms. Kenny turned to you.

"[Your Name], Felix and I can scout the river while the rest of you get ready to move out. I want Ben, Cry, and Clementine to stick with Christa and Omid."

Ryan tensed again, and suddenly pouted. "Me? Why the hell do I have to stay behind?"

"Because you're the only one I can trust to keep the group steady while we're gone." Kenny said. "Except for [Your Name], but I need her for this mission." Felix looked a little hurt... and so did Ben, but the two of them said nothing.

"W-Wait! Can't I come?" Clementine piped up from your side. You hadn't noticed her move there. "My Mom and Dad can't be far now. Maybe we can look for them on the way to the river!"

You felt your heart drop. You crouched in front of her. "Clementine, we... can't right now, honey."

Clementine looked torn. Your heart shattered at her expression. "B-But... but you promised..." She whispered.

"I know I did, sweat pea." You told her. "I haven't forgotten. But Savannah is much more dangerous than I thought it was going to be. We need to stick together as a group."

Clementine pouted, but nodded her head. "Okay..."

Ryan moved forward and gently took her into his arms, crouching beside her. You stood up and looked to Kenny, who had also taken a step forward.

"Daylight's burnin'. Gonna go grab my gear, and then we'll head out." He said. The group began to walk into the house, including Ryan, Clem, and Felix. You moved to go inside, but Ben suddenly stopped you, standing in front of you and crossing his arms.

"So, you're just going to leave me on the bench here?" He asked. You blinked.

"That's not how it is, Ben." You told him. "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Clementine and Omid."

Ben sighed. "I can do that..." He muttered.

You suddenly frowned. "Can you, Ben?" You asked. His eyes widened a little, but you didn't let him speak. You took a step forward and growled. "Back on the street. You fuckin' ran off without Clementine. You left her to die."

"I know I did..." Ben mumbled. "And I'm really sorry. I just sort of... froze up. I was scared."

You scoffed. "Yeah, well, if you do that again, the walkers will be the least of your concerns."

You hit his shoulder against yours as you passed him, and made your way inside the house.

_Felix's P.O.V._

The streets were too quiet for my liking. If any bells were rung in this area, we'd be fucked. But if I was honest, I liked the tiny break from the walkers. Kenny, [Your Name] and I walked through the street together, checking out abandoned cars and other vehicles. Most of them had been stripped of all their parts, leaving only their frames on the streets. Not even the wheels remained. I knew this had been the work of people, but how long had it been since the apocalypse had started? Whoever did this was gone. Dead and gone. I knew that much.

Kenny had been silent the entire trip, only muttering to go this way or that way. The three of us stayed close together. I held a hand-gun in my hands, and in [Your Name]'s, she held her rifle. Kenny's hands were empty, but I knew he'd kept a gun on his belt. His face had a frown... showing concentration, but he was also deep in sorrow-filled thoughts. I didn't blame him. He'd lost his wife and kid the day before. That wasn't easy. Not for any man. [Your Name] had offered to speak to him plenty of times about the subject, but every time, he rejected it, leaving her feeling slightly hurt, or concerned. Eventually, she just stopped asking and became quiet. I'd been silent for most of the trip as well.

It wasn't long before we'd reached the docks, and the ocean's beginning. Not a single boat was in sight. There was a couple, but they were either in the water at an awkward angle, or stripped of all parts. Kenny had frantically began running around, and finally settled for one that had been "possibly salvageable". It was in the water at an awkward angle, and I was seriously doubting that he could fix it up.

"What? Seriously?" [Your Name] piped up, gesturing to the boat. "That? I don't think-"

"You got a better fucking idea?" Kenny tested, turning to glare up at [Your Name]. [Your Name] took a couple steps back and grumbled... before shaking her head. Kenny huffed and turned back to try to get the boat out of the water.

"I'll check it out." He mumbled. "You two go to the other end o the waterfront. Maybe there's something on the other end."

I slowly shook my head. "I don't think we should split up too far, Kenny."

"We don't have to." Kenny replied. He gestured just a little ways down. "See that telescope? You can see all the way along the waterfront from right here. See what you can find."

_Your P.O.V._

You'd begun your task of hunting for some change, since the telescope didn't work without it. Felix had ventured off to the right, and you'd gone to the left. You had checked out a magazine stand, at it's cash-register, but there was nothing. You'd looked along the ground, and even around the telescope itself, but still nothing. Eventually, you'd finally ventured even further right... and come across something you wished you hadn't seen.

It was a barricade for... you weren't sure what. It was piles and piles of wood, metal, and garbage. But that wasn't all. Sticking out of the barricade were large spikes, which had walkers stabbed through the top. They'd been stabbed through the chest, so they were still alive, weakly hanging as they groaned and growled for food. They weakly waved their arms around when they saw you, but they could do nothing. Your felt your jaw drop, and felt a knot tighten in your stomach. You didn't like this. You didn't like this at all. Was it meant to be some kind of warning? Who would do something like this?

"[Your Name]!"

A voice suddenly called out to you. You turned around, and saw Felix running toward you. One of his hands was closed in a fist, and you only hoped that he held change inside. The blonde Swede had a smile on his face.

"[Your Name]!" He repeated. "I found change in the-..."

He stopped in his step when he was close enough, and looked beyond you, toward the barricade and the walkers. His face fell, and his jaw dropped.

"What the fuck... is this?" He asked. You slowly turned around to face the way he was facing and sighed.

"A fate worse than death." You told him. You then reached forward and took his hand, grabbing the change from his fingers, and left him to make your way over to the telescope. You stood behind it and inserted some coins, before peeking through the scope, and peering out into the foggy world. The ocean seemed to stretch for miles and miles. You looked around, tilting the telescope this way and that way as you tried to find what you were looking for. You eventually looked to some buildings, studying them closely as you tried to spot boats. There was nothing. Just those two figures of alive people running across the top of the building. Nothing special. You thought maybe there-...

Wait.

What?

You looked at the building again, watching as the figures ran across the top of the building, then onto the ground. They looked around, before sprinting in your direction. Your eyes widened. Whoever they were, they were coming in _your group's_ direction. Ohhh, this wasn't good. Had the two of them seen you?! You pulled away from the telescope and looked over to Kenny, who looked angry as hell. You knew he was going to start screaming, so before he did, you ran to him and covered his mouth with your hand, shushing him, before whispering "GET DOWN!". The three of you crouched and hit behind the large step. Kenny and Felix looked confused. You turned and looked over the step, watching as the two figures made their way to the magazine-stand and began to go through it.

"Why the hell are we hiding?" Kenny whispered. You gestured toward the magazine stand.

"A couple people came down that building at the end of the street!" You whispered back.

"Where'd they go?" Felix asked. You looked back toward the stand.

"Into the magazine-stand thingy." You replied, tone soft.

"Could be our bell-ringer." Felix mumbled. Kenny suddenly chuckled.

"Good. I was just about feeling like ringing someone else's mother-fucking bell."

"Nice." Felix commented.

"Okay. Felix, you go around the middle of the street." Kenny ordered. "I'll go around the left, and [Your Name], you go around the right. We'll cover your blank. We'll approach quietly, and take those two assholes by surprise."

Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Kenny pull out his hand-gun. You swallowed.

"We just want to talk to this guy." You reminded him.

Kenny hopped over the fence. "Oh, we're gonna talk."

_Felix's P.O.V._

The two people behind the counter of the magazine-stand made soft talk with one another, though their voices were hard to hear. One of them sounded strikingly familiar, and I couldn't help but wonder if it could have been someone I knew. It'd be a nice surprise. Kenny and [Your Name] did as they promised and covered me from the sides as I snuck up to the stand. I made sure to keep my steps quick, but quiet.

Suddenly, one of the figures leaned over to grab something, and I couldn't see them. My eyes were focused on the other, though, and I kept my eyes locked on them as I got closer. As I got ready to ambush, a sound suddenly came from behind me. I spun around, and my eyes widened as the figure who had _just_ bent over to grab something stood there, like a fucking ninja. In their hand, they held a sharp object that I couldn't quite place the name of.

However, they were ready to cut into me with it. I was quick to move, taking their wrist and holding it still while I sent a punch to their face and let go. The figure spun and fell to their knees, but didn't fall completely. They spun around and socked me right in the jaw, causing me to yelp and fall to the ground.

I grunted as I fell, and roughly fell on my ass. I watched as the figure got on top of me and raised the sharp weapon again. But just as her arm was ready to come down, their buddy suddenly screamed,

"NO! WAIT! DON'T HURT HIM!"

My eyes widened. My heart began to pound. I _knew_ that voice.

_"H-Holy fucking shit... Marzia?!"_


	23. Chapter 23

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_

_**I Found Charles**_

_Your P.O.V._

You and Kenny had been ready to kill the fucker before they struck Felix with that sharp thing, but a sudden voice screamed for them to stop. The figure hesitated, and looked over their shoulder at the voice. A woman you recognized, but couldn't place your finger on who it was stood behind her group member. She had long brown hair, bright eyes, and a cute little face. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was dropped. As Felix spoke her name, it came to me. It _was_ Marzia!

The second figure got off of Felix, and Felix quickly got to his feet. His blue eyes were wide, and they stared into the girl's. They hesitated for a moment, and... then tears began to fall from both pairs of eyes. Felix ran forward and nearly strangled Marzia with how tightly he held her against him. Then, he caught her lips in a passionate and long-waited kiss.

"Oh my God... Marzia..."

"Felix!"

Kenny continued to give looks of confusion, but he quickly realized who Marzia was, and nodded in approval and understanding. When Felix and Marzia were done getting over the fact that they'd found each other, the second figure finally spoke up.

"You're not from Crawford."

You, Felix, Marzia, and Kenny looked to the figure and watched as they removed their hood and mask. It instantly revealed a feminine character, with hair too short to cut... like yours.

"You're not the guy on the radio." Felix noted.

"I'm not a guy at all." The woman nearly laughed. "Full marks for observation." She then paused, and continued to look around at your little group. "Who the hell are you people?"

"I asked you first." Felix frowned. Marzia looked a little worried, and then went to stand next to her friend, just in case one of your group tried to pull something. Felix looked a little worried himself, but let her go.

"The name's Molly." The blonde female replied. She gestured to the brunette. "And that's Marzia, but I guess you guys already know her."

"Just Felix and I, actually." You butt-in. "Kenny has no idea." You then paused. "My name's [Your Name]."

"You guys really aren't from Crawford, are you?" Molly asked.

"Of 'course not!" Marzia frowned. "Felix would never stick with something as terrible as Crawford!"

"What the hell is Crawford?" You asked. "I'm a little confused here."

Molly sighed and gestured to the barricade behind her. "Everything beyond that barricade." She informed.

"What the hell happened here?" Felix asked.

Molly hesitated, and for a moment, you were wondering if she was going to answer. Finally, she sighed and mumbled, "Do you really want to know?"

Felix nodded. Molly lightly cringed.

"When the world started going to shit," She stared. "Some people got together and sealed off that entire neighborhood back there. Folks willing to do anything to survive, and stop the dead from getting in. I try to avoid them."

"Why?" Kenny asked, raising an eyebrow. He crossed his arms across his broad chest.

She didn't answer. Instead, Marzia did. "Let's just say they have a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who can't – or won't – live by their rules."

Kenny huffed, still looking a little confused. "So how'd you know we weren't them?" He asked.

Molly hesitated, before looking to Marzia and Felix. "Because Felix is with you."

You rose a brow in confusion, as well as Kenny and Felix, but Molly continued on.

"A couple weeks after the world went to shit, I found Marzia. She and I have been through this together. She always talked about her Swedish boyfriend. He seemed like someone trustworthy. Someone that wouldn't tangle with people like Crawford, even if it seemed like he didn't have a choice. I knew I could trust him, because Marzia trusts him." She looked Felix up and down. "When I realized Felix had a little group, I knew you people weren't them."

The group sat in silence for a moment as Felix walked over and intertwined his fingers with his girlfriends. He gave a general smile and reached forward to shake Molly's hand.

"Thank you for being with Marzia through this." The Swede spoke. "I've been missing her greatly."

Molly cracked a smile and shook Felix's hand. "She reminds me of my sister," Molly replied. "My sister was precious to me, so... I couldn't let Marzia die like the others."

"Where's your sister now?" Kenny asked. Molly took her hand away from Felix's and looked away.

"Gone." She mumbled. There was more silence. You glared at Kenny, who scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and looked away. You then looked back to Molly. She didn't seem very sad. She must have already come to terms with her sibling's death... however long ago that happened. Instead, you moved forward, taking a step closer to her.

"Were you the one ringing those bells?" You asked. Molly looked up to you and grinned.

"Yeah," She said, speaking a little pride. "That would be me."

"I knew it!" Kenny suddenly snarled, and jabbed a finger toward Molly. "[Your Name], I knew she'd been the one following us! Fucking with us!"

Molly glared. "Get that finger out of my face, Grandpa," She gestured to the finger Kenny had pointed at her. "Before I jam it straight up your ass. I'm not following you. I had no idea who the hell you people were until Marzia told me not to hurt Felix."

"Calm down, Kenny." Felix chirped. "The guy on the Talkie was a guy, remember?"

Kenny scoffed. "Yeah, well, whoever you are," Kenny turned to Molly. "ringing those bells this morning almost got us all killed, raised the dead all around us!"

"That's the idea, genius." Molly grumbled. "It's how we get around. We ring a bell in one neighborhood to distract the local geeks, which buys us some time to scavenge the areas they cleared out of."

"'Geeks'?" Kenny nearly laughed. "Is that what you call them?"

"Yeah! You know, like at the carnival?" Marzia butt-in. "They'll eat anything. Alive or dead."

"That was pretty smart, with the bells." You admitted.

"Doesn't take much to out-smart the dead. Bunch of dumbasses." Molly laughed. "You just gotta be fast. Get in and out before they wander back again."

"Well, we were looking for a boat," Felix chimed in. "We were hoping to get our people out on the water... to safety."

Molly snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that." She mumbled. "Anyone with a boat took it out of here as soon as people started eating each other. Anything that got left behind, Crawford stripped them for parts. Cars, too."

Kenny shook his head. "There's gotta be something."

"If there was, do you think Marzia and I would still be here?" Molly asked. "I've been over every inch of this city. The whole place has been picked clean."

Kenny growled, and took a few steps away. "God-Damn it!" He rose his voice. "FUCK!"  
"Hey, MORON, do you wanna keep your voice down?!" Molly snapped. Kenny turned around and glared daggers at the blonde female. Then, his glare faded, and he sighed, and whispered;

"Shit."

"Since you're not getting on any boats," Marzia said suddenly. "I'd advise you to-"

Molly was cut off by the sounds of groaning and growling. All of the group spun around, eyes landing on walkers wandering toward them. Your eyes widened, and you grumbled. Beside you, Molly growled as well. "Great. Just great."

"Isn't that the-"

"Way we came..." Felix finished Kenny's interrupted sentence with a soft tone full of worry.

"Isn't there another way back to the house?!" You asked.

"Marzia!" Molly snapped. The other woman turned to her name. Molly was heading toward an ally, running quickly. "Let's go!" The blonde called back.

Marzia followed after her, but kept her hand latched onto Felix's. Felix ran with her, and you and Kenny joined. The four of you moved together after Molly.

"Molly!" Marzia snapped. "We can't just leave them here!"

"I know!" Molly called back. You watched with amazement as she jumped up and latched onto a fire-escape with her sharp thing. She hoisted herself up and over, before turning back. Felix turned to Molly and put his hand down to the ground. Marzia stepped on Felix's hand, and Felix hoisted her up. Then, Kenny did the same with Felix, and then you with Kenny. Kenny looked down to you and reached a hand out.

"Come on, [Your Name]!" He called. "Just one good jump, honey!"

You gathered all the strength you could and jumped up. Kenny caught your hand, but it slipped, and you fell on your ass. Your eyes widened, and you looked to the walkers running toward you. You quickly got to your feet and ran down the ally, jumping over a dumpster. However, the other side of the ally was also blocked by on-coming walkers. You were trapped.

"Here!"

Molly's voice suddenly called to you. You looked up in just another time to see her toss her sharp yellow weapon thing at you. You caught it safely by the handle (thank God) and looked down toward your feet. There was a sewer-entrance. You groaned, knowing what you had to do, but not wanting to do it.

Prying the lid open with the weapon, you ignored the screams of your name coming from Felix as you dropped down the hole. You landed on the ground, and as you did, a walker's body fell toward you. You moved out of the way, and it splat on the ground, hitting it's head just right. It didn't move. You looked back up to the hole, but no more walkers fell. You cringed.

"Felix! Kenny!" You called up. "Can you hear me?!" No answer. You cringed again. "Get back to the house! I'll meet you there!" You then looked around the area you were in. "...I hope..."

You ventured forward, going down a tiny stair-case built into a tiny wall, and made your way toward the next level. Everything was covered in sewage and slime... it made you want to puke. As you continued onward, you eventually reached a slope that went to the next level. You went down it, before landing on the next floor.

This place smelled awful... and you knew that you'd probably have to find some way to make yourself smell better when you got back. You walked through the narrow passage-way, and it wasn't long before you came across a couple of walkers. They were eating at a rather large body... each of them pale, rotten, and hungry. You began to approach them slowly, but you aim was not to be with them. Your aim was to dive into the little nook beside them. And you did. Safely.

You then, in a crouching position, ventured through that part of the sewer, before you came across a pipe with a handle. Curious, you twisted the handle to see what would happen. Water, just outside the little nook you were in, began to drain loudly. It wasn't long before walkers... the ones that were eating before... approached it and tried to get it.

You knew you didn't have long before they lost interest, so after taking the handle off of the pipe, you moved out of the nook and ventured back into the regular part of the sewer. Before you did anything else, you curiously approached the person they had been eating before.

It was Chuck.

The chubby face, dirty clothes, and old white and gray hair proved it all. His eyes were half-lidded and still, and his insides were completely out. There was a bullet in his head... and a small hand-gun beside him. He'd used the last bullet for himself. And you made sure of this by picking the gun up and checking to see if there were any bullets. Confirming your suspicions, you put the gun to your belt, and then ventured further down the sewer.

You eventually came across another walker, who was trying to get through a couple bars against the wall. It's back was turned to you, so you took this opportunity and acted quickly. You quietly moved forward, taking the weapon Molly had given you, and bashing the walker's skull in. It died on the first hit, leaving you the only living thing there. You looked up to the wall, and noticed a way out toward the ceiling.

Light shined through the hole on the top, but it was dimmer than before, telling you that the sun was setting. You frowned in concentration, before pulling the weapon from your belt again. You were going to pull a Ninja-Molly move. You raced forward and jumped, kicking a sign on the wall as you aimed to latch onto the broken latter above with the weapon. You failed. Horribly.

You landed on your ass and grunted, but as you looked up, your face lit with excitement. The sign you had kicked tilted, and behind it was a giant hole. You took your opportunity and tore off the sign, before slipping through the hole, and into...

A room.

A room filled with boxes and boxes of supplies.

The room was tiny, but big enough to be filled with a couple shelves and lots of supplies. It almost reminded you of a bomb-shelter (you hadn't seen the sign labeled "FALLOUT SHELTER" next to the hole in the wall). You stared hungrily at the food, before snatching up a few energy bars off of the shelves, and shoving them into the pockets of your jacket. These would be for Ryan and Clementine, later. Your eyes then landed on the door on the other side of the room. Your curiosity got the best of you, and you walked forward, opening the door without any trouble. You shut it behind you and smiled to yourself in victory, before looking around the room.

Your smile fell.

The room contained at least six other survivors, each looking to you with very wide eyes. They stopped mid-step in walking, or mid-conversation if they were talking. Suddenly, an older, skinny man with gray hair and a brown jacket pointed a gun at you and began to make his way toward your front. He watched you wearily. You slowly put your hands up as you looked at the barrel of his hand-gun.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"I-It's alright..." You said calmly. "It's okay. I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do we." The man replied, looking a little shaken. "Which is why you'd do best if you turned around and left. R-Right now."

"Look, I'm sorry I disturbed you folks..." You continued to keep your voice calm. "I'll just be going..."

"You can't let her leave!" A sudden, chubbier woman said from behind the old man. "She's from Crawford! If she goes back there, and they find out we're down here-"

"Are you from Crawford?" The old man interrupted the girl behind him and continued to talk to you. "D-Don't lie to me. I'll know."

"I'm not from around here." You told them. "I've come from Macon... but I'm originally from [Home Town]."

"I have a brother in Macon..." The man suddenly said. "You were there? How was it? Was it as bad as here?"

He continued to keep the gun pointed at you, and... with how bad his hands were shaking... you weren't sure how long you were going to live until he accidentally pulled the trigger.

You slowly nodded at his questions. "I'm sorry..."

"You can't trust her, Vernon!" The woman approached Vernon slowly. "You can't let her leave."

"W-What do you want me to do?" The old man, apparently named Vernon, asked her. "Shoot her in the head?"

"Why not?" The woman replied. "That'd be more mercy than anyone in Crawford ever showed us. Think, Vernon. What do you think they'd do if they found out we were down here, right under their feet?"

"Damn it, you're right..." Vernon mumbled. He looked up to you, making eye-contact. "I'm sorry, friend. I can't take that risk."

Your eyes widened. "L-Look, you don't want to do this." You continued to try to keep your voice, down, but it was faltering. "Let's talk, okay?"

"What's to talk about?" Vernon asked, hands still shaking. "You won't even tell us who you are."

"My name is [Your Name]." You told them. "I'm a [Career-Title]... and I don't want to die today." Slowly, you began to take steps forward. Vernon froze, but he didn't shoot. "And," You continued. "I don't think you want to kill me, either."

Suddenly, he glared. "Don't!" He snapped. "Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot!"

You stopped in your steps, and kept your hands raised.

"Come on." You said gently. "Let's just talk about this."

"VERNON, what are you doing?!" The woman snapped. "Shoot him!"

"Nobody needs to get _shot_," You spoke calmly, refusing the urge to glare at the woman. "Just take it easy."

Slowly, you reached forward and took the gun from him. As you pulled it out of his hands, the woman behind Vernon backed away, looking terrified. Vernon bit his lip out of nervousness and watched as you slipped the gun between your back and your pants (since you had no more room on your belt).

"Vernon!" The woman gasped.

"Relax!" You tried to speak calmly. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Vernon and the woman stood side-by-side now. Vernon blinked, and so did the woman, looking you up and down. They looked surprised.

"You're really not from Crawford?" He asked.

You sent them a friendly smile. "No." You told them, lowering your hands. "I'm really not."

"Well... we are." Vernon replied. "Or... were." He began to move toward the rest of the room, checking in on different survivors. They all watched you curiously, but tried to go back to their own things. You remained where you stood, unsure if you'd scare them or not by moving where they couldn't have their eyes completely set on you.

"We got out of there when they started sealing up the place," Vernon continued. "When they started getting rid of the sick and the old so the perfect-survivor-society wouldn't be threatened. "There's no room for weakness or vulnerability in their little master race."

You chuckled. "You don't look that old." You admitted. "So... you're sick?"

"_Was_ sick." He corrected. "We're all survivors of cancer, and used to meet in a group here at the hospital."

Oh. So this place was a hospital? Interesting.

"We're in remission." Vernon continued. "But that wasn't good enough for Crawford. They'd already rounded up five of us before the rest of us managed to hole up and hide down here. This old basement's been abandoned for years."

"What is this? A morgue?" You asked, looking around. Vernon chuckled, and then huffed.

"Yeah. Irony's always high on my list when I'm looking for a place to survive." He replied. He began to step toward you. "How did you find your way down here?"

You thought for a moment. "My group and I were by the river looking for a boat," You explained. "Now I just want to get out of here and find them again."

"Well that sewer system you came through runs all over the city," Vernon informed. "It'll take you wherever you want to go."

"But those sewers are like a damn maze..." You admitted. "Will you help me find my way back?"

Vernon sighed. "Look, I'd like to help you, but we've all got our own problems. Two of our group are sick and need constant care, and I'm the only doctor here."

"Besides," The woman piped up from the corner of the room. "Why _should_ we help you?"

You stopped yourself from showing signs of negativity. You _really_ didn't like her.

"Look, I'm sorry if I scared you." You told them. "I just want to get back to my people. Back to Cry and Clementine."

"They your family?" Vernon asked. You bit your lip.

"No. Clementine lost her real parents. My boyfriend and I," Weird, it felt odd to call Ryan that. "are doing the best we can."

"Wait, you're not seriously considering going with him?" The woman looked surprised as she spoke to Vernon. Vernon frowned at her.

"It's alright, Brie." Vernon sighed. He looked to you. "I had a family, too. Lost them in the first days. I'll be damned if I just sit back and let that happen to someone else."

"We need you here!" A man across the room pointed out.

"Don't worry." Vernon smiled. "I'll be back before you know it." He turned to you again.

_"Let's go."_


	24. Chapter 24

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Four**_

_**Hidden Surprises**_

_Your P.O.V._

"Clementine?" You called out. "Cry?"

No answer.

You rose your eyebrow curiously as you looked around the back part of the house. You and Vernon had made it to the house with no trouble at all. And now... now you just wanted to find Ryan and Clementine.

To your left sat the kitchen, and as you looked to it, you noticed Molly looking through pantries and cupboards. You lightly frowned and cleared your throat at her. She jumped and spun around, eyes landing on you. She then gave a relieved sigh.

"Oh, hey!" She breathed. "You made it back!"

"Who's this?" Vernon asked, looking to Molly curiously. Molly looked disappointed.

"She didn't tell you about me?" She asked. She began to approach you. "Understandable, I guess. I'm the one that put a beating on her friend when they tried to jump me in the river." She laughed dryly. She turned to you and playfully grinned. "Who's the fossil?"

"This is Vernon. He's a doctor." You replied. "He helped me get back here after we got separated."

Molly gave a nod of approval, before putting her hand on her hip and huffing.

"I think you have something that belongs to me?" She asked. You rolled your eyes and handed her the yellow weapon thing. She smiled and took it, before trotting off to a different part of the house.

"[Your Name]! Thank God you're back!" Christa's voice suddenly called. You looked up and watched as she quickly approached you, a worried look on her face. She eyed Vernon curiously, but then payed no mind to him as she looked back to you.

"Christa, what's wrong?" You asked her. She looked like she was about to cry.

"It's Omid!" She said. "He's gotten worse. Much worse."

You huffed and slowly nodded, concern growing in your head. You turned to Vernon. "We've got a man wounded." You informed. Vernon gave an understanding nod.

"Who's this?" Christa asked.

"This is Vernon." You told her. "He's a doctor."

She gasped. "Oh, thank God!"

"Could you take a look at him?" You asked the older man.

"You have to help us!" Christa chimed in. "Please!"

Vernon had to think for a moment. You were fearful he would reject the plea and leave, but the look in his eyes suddenly told you otherwise. He slowly nodded.

"I'll see what I can do. Take me to him."

_Cry's P.O.V._

My mind was filled with worry... and dread. Felix and Kenny had returned, bringing with them Molly and Marzia. I was overjoyed to see Felix so happy with his girlfriend, but... it made me wonder where my own was. When I'd confronted them about her whereabouts, they seemed... upset. Kenny was more pissed than anything. I had watched with confusion and pity as he stormed off into the living-room.

However, he'd apparently found something interesting in the dining-room, because he was staring at that section of the house as if it was the happiest moment of his life. I hadn't questioned what it was though, and continued to wait for an answer. It wasn't long before Felix told me that [Your Name] hadn't made it up the fire-escape, so she had to escape on-coming walkers by going down into a sewer.

I had felt my heart drop into my stomach, now. No one knew where she could have been, and she probably didn't know the way back. I'd almost gone to look for her, but when I realized that Clementine was _also_ missing, that began to grab my attention. I began to look around the house, calling to her, trying to search every room and corner for her little face. I'd heard new voices at one point, and Christa lightly freaking out, but I didn't want to focus on that. I needed to find Clementine.

Eventually, I found myself outside, and looking toward the large shed in the corner of the yard. I'd approached the shed and tried to open it, but something else had, for me. Clementine's little figure had popped out, and behind her, in the shed...

_a fucking huge-ass boat._


	25. Chapter 25

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_

_**Deal With It**_

You descended down the empty stair-case as your made your way down to the lowest level of the house. The building was fairly quiet for the most part... a couple of faint voices from a different room speaking up every once in a while. Your eyes scanned the areas you entered for Ryan and Clementine, but their figures weren't visible. The longer you weren't in their company, the more your head began to fill with worry. Where had they gone? Had they left the house without saying anything? Were they in danger? The last thing you wanted was the closest thing you had to a family be in a dangerous position.

You continued to search the rest of the house, looking through every nook and cranny. You couldn't find them anywhere. It wasn't long before you finally stumbled upon Kenny, Ben, Marzia, and Felix however, in the living-room. Felix and Marzia were by the fire-place, smiling at each other and whispering as they caught up on events. They looked so happy together. Felix's face was lit up with pure joy, and those light blue eyes shined brighter than you'd ever seen them shine before. His girlfriend was in his arms, and you were certain he wouldn't be letting her go for a _long_ time.

Though... the other two people in the room were... not so happy.

Ben was sitting in a small chair, a worried look on his face as he watched his older friend. Kenny was sprawled out in an awkward position on the couch, one arm rested against the back of the couch, and the other holding onto a big bottle of liquor. ...The same one from the dining-room table. He continued to take large amounts of drinks from the bottle's top. When he'd noticed your presence, he pulled the bottle away from his lips, and you watched as a couple golden-greenish drops trailed from the corner of his mouth to down his chin, and onto his shirt. He looked to you and gave you a drunk smile.

"Ohh, heyyy, you made't back!" His tone was bitter and sarcastic, and his words were so slurred you could almost hardly make out what he was saying. "Good job, good job!"

You frowned and crossed your arms at the scene before you. Ben looked a little scared, now, and eyed you wearily. You gave a small huff of irritation.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kenny?"

Kenny slightly smirked at you and took another sip of his booze, before giving a bitter, short laugh. "What'd doess it'look like?" He asked.

"Where'd you get the bottle?" You took a step toward him, keeping your arms crossed as you asked the question you already knew the answer to. Kenny grumbled, his smile fading slightly, and continued to take a drink after a drink. A few drops fell into his lap.

"Foouuuuuund it!" He replied. He suddenly glared, and your eyes grew wide as he stood and began to walk toward you. "What, [Your Name], d'ya wanna throw down like'we did on'th train?" He snarled. "Because I fight better when'm shit-faced!"

Although he was several times taller than you and really intimidated you, you tried your best not to look fearful as you put on a stern expression. You took a step toward him, which he'd angrily noticed, and reached for the bottle in his hand.

"C'mon, Kenny. Give me that." You told him.

Kenny frowned and backed away, holding the bottle close to his chest. He gave you a nasty glare and protectively placed his arms around the booze. You glared back.

"Kenny, give me the damned bottle!" You told him.

"GET'th FUCK AWAY from me!" He snarled back.

"Getting wasted is not going to help anyone!" You pointed out to the broken-hearted redneck.

Kenny scoffed, eyes widening. He leaned in close to your face, and your nose wrinkled at the disgusting smell of booze on his breath.

"Yeah, well what is?!" The brunette demanded. "_We_ are _FUCKED_!" You watched as he sat down, took another sip of his never-ending booze, and crossed his arms. "Molly said there's not a single boat left in Savannah." He informed you, glaring. "No way out. We got walkers following us, that crazy fucker on the radio _messing_ with us... Hell, if now ain't the time for a drink?"

He took another sip, before offering the bottle to Ben. Ben eyed the bottle curiously, and then looked to Kenny. You could see the slight want in Ben's gaze. You knew he wanted a drink of that. The kid had probably never had a taste of alcohol before. And, Kenny did give a good point. So would the teenager refuse?

He finally looked up to you, and you glared at the light-haired high-schooler, giving him an expression that said _don't you dare touch that fucking bottle._ His eyes lightly widened at your expression, and then he looked to Kenny. He slightly raised his hands up and shook his head in refusal. Kenny frowned, but then shrugged, huffed, and took another sip for himself. You gave a nod of approval to the teenager, before looking to Kenny.

"Kenny, listen. I know you just lost your family, and I know you don't really want to live anymore because of it. But I am not going to let you fuck the chances of the rest of us surviving."

Kenny looked at you with a dark glare, but you didn't hesitate as you walked up to him, snatched the bottle from his hand, turned, and threw it against the wall. The bottle shattered with a loud sound and dropped to the ground, letting whatever liquid was left inside pouring onto the ground. You turned back to Kenny, who looked like he was going to explode with rage. You glared back and continued.

"So while you wallow in pity and get drunk off your ass, I'm going to do the whole group a favor and look for another way out." You leaned into his face. "And if you don't fucking like it, you can fucking leave."

He opened his mouth to argue, but you didn't have it. Giving him a deep glare, you turned on your heel and stormed away, walking to the back entrance of the house, and heading out the door. You would not put up with Kenny's shit today. Not today.

_Cry's P.O.V._

I stared up at the boat with wide eyes, my hands falling limp at my sides with surprise. The boat sat in the shed, and though it was a little dusty, one would see it as shining with all it's wonderful glory. It seemed to be in great condition... no holes or damage, but I couldn't really tell for sure.

In front of the boat, Clementine gave a big smile and threw her hands up in the air in a victorious pose. When I was done gawking at the boat, I fell to my knees and opened up my arms, a huge smile spreading along my lips. Clementine squealed with laughter and dove into my arms, wrapping her own around me and hugging me tightly. I hugged her back and gave the top of her head a kiss as I praised her work.

I called her different names... Wonderful, Brilliant, Amazing... each of which she was taking great joy to hearing. Absolute happiness spread through me.

Suddenly, a gasp came from behind me. A _feminine_ gasp. I got to my feet and turned around, my eyes falling upon [Your Name]'s figure. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes were wide with the same surprise I had felt moments ago.

You could tell she was widely smiling from behind her hands. She then looked to me, and her grin grew even bigger. I chuckled and walked forward, and took her into my arms. She gave a delighted hum as I planted a kiss on her lips. Behind her, only a little ways away, the back door to the house opened, and Kenny's (apparently drunk) body stumbled into sight. He walked closer to us, a glare on his face.

He seemed to be gunning for [Your Name]... though I was unsure why. I quickly pulled her behind me and made my hands into fists and sent him a glare. He opened his mouth to speak, and I expected terrible, hurtful words and terms. But instead, his jaw shut, and his anger fell as he noticed the boat sitting in the shed. His arms fell at his sides. A smile broke out on his features.

"Holy shit... [Your Name]... I think I owe you an apology..."

OoOoOoO

The living-room was silent... even Felix and Marzia had grown quiet. It held almost every member of the group... everyone but Omid and Kenny. [Your Name] had just given the news of Charles' death, and it put everyone into a state of mourning.

Each person had their own spot in the room. [Your Name] and I stood behind the couch, my arm around her shoulders, holding her close. Clementine sat on the furniture in front of us, and kept stealing glances in our direction. We tried giving her reassuring smiles as we pat her head or whispered, but we knew that even the little girl was missing the homeless man.

"How is Omid doing?"

[Your Name] broke the silence as she looked to Vernon, who had just taken his place beside Christa on the other couch. Christa looked like a mess... emotionally. I could tell how worried she was over her boyfriend's state of health. Beside her, Vernon gave a curt nod, and lifted to meet [Your Name]'s gaze with his gold-brown eyes.

"As well as to be expected, under the circumstances." He informed. "I did what I could for him; cleaned out the wound... but he's got a real infection. Running a feaver. ...Without antibiotics-"

"Will you quit pacing?!" Molly suddenly piped up, interrupting Vernon's medical list as she turned to Felix. The blonde had left his girlfriend's side and began to pace back and fourth across the room, a fist under his chin as he tried to think. He was giving a light, concentrated frown... and I could practically hear him thinking, with how hard he was doing it. Molly grumbled. "You're making everyone nervous, Felix."

"I'm sorry." Felix mumbled, halting in his step as he turned to the female blonde. "I'm just-"

"Why are you even still here?!" Christa snapped, chiming in as she sent Molly a interested stare. Molly huffed again as she looked to the skinny black lady, and rose a brow.

"Marzia has been with me since the beginning," The orange-sweatered woman replied. "Wherever she goes, I go. We're a team. I'm not leaving her side any time soon. ...Besides, if you guys _can_ get that boat working, you're taking me with you. I don't think I'll be able to stand another minute in this God-damned city."

The sound of a door opening was suddenly heard, and everyone turned to watch as Kenny made his way out of the hallway, and into the living-room. I couldn't read his expression well... but by the look of him not being totally overjoyed anymore, I knew there was some sort of trouble. I gave a concerned frown and slipped my arm off of [Your Name]'s shoulders and fully turned to him. I crossed my arms across my chest. Clementine peered curiously between [Your Name] and mine's bodies.

"Well?" I asked, implying that we were all curious to know the status of the boat. Kenny's brows furrowed, and he gave a light sigh. He looked to me with his darkened emerald-colored eyes.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" He asked. I bit the inside of my lip and looked to [Your Name]. She looked just as concerned as I was. I looked around the room, but everyone's eyes were on me, as if they wanted me to answer. I finally sighed and turned to Kenny.

"Hit us with the good news, Kenny. That'll be nice."

Kenny slowly nodded at my decision. "The good news is; the boat's sea-worthy enough. It's in pretty good shape... mostly."

"Mostly?" Christa asked, raising a brow. Kenny slowly nodded again.

"That's the bad news," He continued. "gas tank is empty, and her battery's dead. We need to fix both before she's taking us any place."

I reached up and raked my fingers through my hair with my right hand, and gave an irritated sigh. My brows came together to form a frown. Beside me, I could feel [Your Name]'s annoyance radiating off of her.

Christa groaned. "How are we supposed to get that stuff?"

The room fell silent again as everyone began to think. I rattled my brain for answers... and finally, one suddenly came. I gave a small shrug.

"Search the streets?" I suggested. "We should go back out and see what we can find."

"That's not going to work." Molly mumbled. Marzia huffed.

"Crawford took everything," The woman continued. "and took it into their walls. They siphoned every gas tank, stripped every battery... there's nothing left out there, [Your Name], Felix, and Kenny even saw so."

"She's right." Vernon chimed in. "There's nothing left."

"Well, what about Crawford?"

Vernon, Molly, and Marzia's eyes widened as they looked to the speaker: [Your Name]. She had taken a couple steps away from me and made it to the center of the room. She put her hands on her hips, the skin on her hands disappearing under my green jacket... which she'd stolen from me and had yet to return. I hummed in remembrance of the motor-inn, and slipped my hands into the pockets of my red jacket. I suddenly remembered my mask... which I had left back at the inn. I sighed.

"Crawford seems to have everything we need," [Your Name] continued. "We should try there."

Vernon frowned. "Hold on a minute," He started.

[Your Name] shook her head and continued talking, cutting the old man off. "Surely, we have to try! If there were people left in the city who are still alive, still open with supplies, what harm would it do to ask?"

Vernon shook his head and stood up from where he sat. "Trust me, you don't know these people." He told the female. "I do. You showing up with a wounded man? Might as well put a noose around his neck." He then flashed a look to Clementine. "They don't exactly welcome children with open arms, either."

Christa frowned for herself and stood. "What the hell kind of place are we talking about, here?"

"The worst kind." Molly chimed in, uncrossing her arms as she moved to the center of the room to stand next to [Your Name]. "But... [Your Name] is right. I don't see what other choice we have."

Kenny scoffed, and spoke for the first time since he'd finished giving the news about the boat. "And how the hell are we supposed to do this? From what I've heard, that place ain't exactly friendly to outsiders."

"That's to put it mildly," Marzia mumbled.

I moved out from behind the couch and made my way closer to my girlfriend, giving her a pat on the shoulder before looking around the room. "We should sneak in." I suggested. "There's got to be some way we can get in undetected."

The room fell silent for a split second. Vernon looked as if he was actually considering the idea. His face brightened a little.

"There might actually be a way." He looked to me as he spoke. "I know the sewer system that runs beneath Crawford like the back of my hand." He paused. "Ya'll wouldn't happen to have a map by any chance?"

I blinked, and put my hands into my pockets again, checking for the map. It wasn't there. I mentally slapped myself and cursed, before looking toward [Your Name]. She didn't have it, either. I stared at her with worry, before my gaze landed on Clementine.

The little girl had gotten off of the couch, and made her way toward Vernon. She held the map in her hands. She shyly smiled up at him as she handed it up. Vernon gave her a sincere smile and patted her head, before taking the map from her hands and setting it on the coffee-table a little ways away from the couch. He looked down at it as he studied, before nodding.

"I think I can lead us through, so we can pass under the perimeter, and right into the center where they keep their supplies." He started. "We come up right underneath them, take them by surprise, grab what we need, and get out before they even knew what hit 'em!"

As he spoke, he looked around the room, making eye-contact with everyone. Everyone seemed to approve of this idea... each person giving little nods or hums of agreement. I even nodded myself. It really was a good idea.

"That's actually not the worst idea I've ever heard," Molly spoke up. "I mean, it's close, but... I don't know. Maybe it could work."

"I've thought about it before," Vernon admitted. "but I never had the people to do it. But I think if we all work together, we can pull it off."

Kenny frowned, suddenly. "And what do you want in return for all this help you're giving us?" He asked.

Vernon hummed. "Crawford doesn't just have what you need for your boat... they're also well-stocked with medical supplies. Medicine that my people could use, just as yours could."

"We can do this!" Christa spoke with a hopeful tone. "We have to!"

"So, it's decided then?" Kenny asked. "We're going to Crawford?"

"Does anyone have a problem with this plan?" [Your Name] asked, looking around the room. "Because we're gonna need every single one of us to pull this off."

"M-Man... I... I don't know..."

The nervous tone came from Ben, who stood behind Kenny, now. Kenny frowned and turned to the high-schooler, raising a brow in question.

"I don't know about you, Kid," He started. "But I'd rather take my chance at doing something... than just sitting here waiting to die." He looked to [Your Name], then. [Your Name] smiled at him, her face beaming with pride. I rose a brow. Had I missed something?

"That boat out there is an answered prayer." Kenny continued. "We just gotta push a little bit farther." He looked back to Ben. "Are you in... or out?"

Ben hesitated. I watched him curiously, giving him encouraging words in my head. I knew he couldn't hear it, though. He didn't have enough time to answer before Vernon suddenly spoke up. I looked back to him.

"We should go tonight," The doctor advised. "Under the cover of the night. I'll go let my people know. It'll give you all a chance to prepare." He turned and began to walk toward the back door of the house. "I'll be back before midnight," He spoke as he walked.

"Be careful," [Your Name] chimed in. Vernon turned around and eyed her for a moment, before giving a slow nod, and a small smirk.

"That's how I'm still alive, darling." He replied. I felt a pang of irritation, and put my arm around [Your Name]'s shoulder. Vernon turned and walked off, shutting the door behind him as he exited the house.

Everyone began to do their own thing. Felix, Marzia, and Molly talked in the corner, the subject being about tonight. Molly and Marzia looked a little worried, but Felix still looked confident. Christa escaped upstairs to check on her boyfriend. Kenny... well... he walked off to do his own thing. I didn't catch where he went. The only ones who had nothing to do at that moment were me, [Your Name], and Clementine. Speaking of the little girl... the tug of my shirt with her hand grabbed my attention. I turned to look to her. She had gotten off of the couch again and stood in front of me, eyes full of hope.

"Is it going to be dangerous?" She asked, sentence slow and cautious. [Your Name] slowly crouched in front of her.

"We can't lie to you, Clem." She told the girl. "Yeah, it's going to be dangerous. But it's the only way to get the things we need to make Omid better, and get the boat working. That's why we have to do this." She paused, and gave a light sigh. "Do you understand, honey?"  
Clementine looked away, eyes lightly darkening. She gave her own small huff.

"I don't want anyone else to die..." She whispered.

[Your Name] reached forward and readjusted Clementine's hat. She nodded. "Neither do I, Clem." She admitted. "No one does. But sometimes, we have to take that kind of risk."

Clementine slowly nodded, and then turned, as if she was going to head toward the stairs.

"I guess I should go get ready." She mumbled.

My eyes widened. "Say, what now?" I asked. [Your Name] had the same expression. She stood, and stepped at my side and curiously looked down at Clementine.

"You said you need all of us to do this," Clementine pointed out. "And earlier, you guys said I'm a big help! ...Remember, [Your Name]? Cry?"

[Your Name] and I hesitated, looking to each other with confused expressions. Clementine continued.

"Molly and Marzia said that Crawford is the only place left in Savannah that still has people. That means it _must_ be where my Mom and Dad are, right?"

_No._ I thought. _No, no, no, no. It's dangerous for ki-_

"It's dangerous for kids." [Your Name] spoke my thoughts. "Where we're going, it's just... too dangerous, Clemmy."

Clementine frowned. "You both said I'm supposed to _always_ stay close to you!" She paused, and waited for us to speak. When we didn't, she sighed. "Please? Can't I come with you?"

I thought for a moment... unsure of what to do. My brain was screaming for me to do the right thing and let her stay at the house, but another part of me was thinking that keeping her here was a bad idea. What if Omid turned and tried to get her? What if strangers showed up and took her away? Crawford was dangerous, but as least I'd know where she was while we were there. But Crawford is terrible, Molly, Marzia, and Vernon said. They could do something horrible to Clem. I didn't want that to happen.

As I continued to think, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated. [Your Name] wasn't saying a word, and I could tell she was in the exact same state of thought. Clementine patiently waited for our answer... and it got to the point where I... I couldn't do it. [Your Name] was the one who spoke up.

"Yes, Clementine..." She finally answered. Clementine's eyes lit up, but [Your Name] didn't stop talking. "You can come with us. But you have to promise to stay quiet, and do exactly what you're told the whole time we're there."

"Okay!" Clementine smiled. "I'm going to go get ready!"

The little girl then turned and sprinted off toward the staircase. We watched her leave, and then I watched as [Your Name] turned to me and gave me a sorry expression. Her shoulders lightly slumped.

"I couldn't say no to that face." The female admitted. She then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry, Ryan."

I shook my head and lightly smiled, before bringing her in for a small hug. I rested my chin atop her head.

"It's okay. You made a good decision." I told her. "We'll just have to keep a special eye on Clementine while we're there."

"Of 'course." [Your Name] agreed.

The two of us pulled away and stared at each other with small smiles. I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, before slowly pulling away. [Your Name] beamed. Suddenly, the sound of a throat clearing sounded from beside us. We looked up to see Felix smirking, and crossing his arms. He turned to Marzia.

"I totally called Cry and [Your Name] getting together. If Doug were still alive, he'd owe me a dollar."

_Your P.O.V._

The sun had fallen behind the buildings of the city, now. It was quiet... the only sounds being heard were the faint groans of walkers in the distance. Everyone was gathered into the backyard, waiting for Vernon to show up. Everyone looked a little tired... but more determined than anything. Clementine cheerfully stared up at the stars, and you watched with a small amount of joy as she and Ryan pointed up at them and put constellations together.

A little ways away, Christa was loading her hand-gun. Beside her, Molly was knelt on the ground, eyes scanning over something small and white... something you couldn't really make out what was from where you stood. She looked very curious with whatever it was, but her concentration had broken when Kenny approached.

"Check out what I found in the garage!" The redneck spoke carefully to the group, not wanting to attract walkers. He was lightly smiling. "Hatchet, Hacksaw, some tools... things that might come in handy on this little break-in."

At the sound of this, Ben and Felix left their spots and made their way toward Kenny, taking the red tool-box from his hand and beginning to go through it. Beside you, Ryan chuckled.

"Nice." He commented.

Kenny nodded... but his smile faded. He looked to Cry, and then to you, and slowly approached. He'd lowered his voice to a whisper, and requested that the two of you talk to him for a moment. You nodded, and told Clementine you'd be back in a second before you followed the boys toward the wall of the house. You stood beside Ryan and looked to Kenny as you waited for whatever he had to say. Kenny looked worried.

"I took a look at the boat." Kenny announced, voice soft. "She's a thirty-footer."

You blinked. "So?" You asked. "What's wrong with that?"

"We're going to have a compacity problem," Kenny told you. "That boat ain't gonna hold more than five people... even with one of them as a kid."

Beside you, you felt Ryan tense. You looked to him, and watched as he began listing off names.

"Me, you, [Your Name], Clementine, Christa, Omid, Ben, Felix, Marzia, Molly..."

"Assuming everyone makes it back alive, it's still five too many. We're going to have to cut some people, before this is over."

You scoffed. "You're not serious?" You asked the redneck. He turned to you and frowned.

"Look, I'm just saying." Kenny mumbled. "If we want the best chance of surviving-"

Suddenly, the gate began to open. Everyone turned to look, grabbing for their weapons, incase it was a couple walkers. However, you let go of the gun around your belt when you realized it was Vernon who had arrived. He was alone... luckily. You were almost worried he was going to bring that lady along with him. God, you really didn't like her.

"Alright," Molly piped up, pulling her hood over her head and making her way toward the gate. "Let's get moving."

Everyone began to make their way toward the gate, passing you, Clem, and Ryan as they went by. However, you and Ryan stopped and looked to each other, and as if you read each other's thoughts, you stared down at Clementine. She beamed up at you both with a warm smile. You smiled down at her, but it was Ryan who spoke.

"You ready?" He asked. Clementine nodded, her smile widening. Before she could answer, though, a different voice suddenly chimed in.

"Whoa, hold on a minute."

Vernon stepped closer to the three of you. You all turned to him, and your brows narrowed as you sent him a curious, and lightly irritated gaze.

"You're not taking _her_ with us?" Vernon asked.

You huffed, and crossed your arms. "And what if we are?" You asked.

Vernon groaned. "Did you not hear a word I said about Crawford not liking kids? If we take her in their, and they find her-"

"I'm not leaving her in the house with only Omid to protect her," Ryan chimed in, lightly frowning himself. "It's just not happening."

"For what it's worth," Molly's voice sounded from the crowd. "I don't think it's a good idea either."

Ryan's frown deepened. "She's coming." He told them. "Deal with it."

"You heard the man," Kenny's voice sounded from the gate. "The little girl is coming. So let's move out."

Vernon and Molly didn't seem very happy, but they said nothing more. Instead, they turned and trotted through the gate, following the rest of the group. You gave Ryan a nod of approval, before taking Clementine's hand and following after the group.


	26. Chapter 26

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

_**Secrets**_

_Your P.O.V._

The place was dead. And you weren't referring to the awful sight of the dead trees, the littered streets, the damaged buildings, or the horrible stench. No, you meant that the place was _literally _dead.

Walkers were the only things that had filled the streets of Crawford, and it had taken everyone by surprise. After discovering that a Crawford security guard was really a walking corpse, and then noticing walkers bolting out of the shadows and running near your group, Ryan had yelled to run, and everyone followed him into the main Crawford building. The inside had the walls and floors splattered with blood in different areas, but there wasn't many walkers.

The ones that _were_ inside the building had been taken care of if they had gotten in your group's way. Eventually, your group had passed through a couple glass doors. As you did, Marzia and Felix roughly shut them and pressed their weight against it, just in case any walkers had followed the group inside. Everyone looked surprised. Beside you, Kenny panted and swore over and over.

"Fuck... fuck! Do you think they saw us?!"

"I have _no_ idea!" Ryan chimed in from your other side.

You looked to Clementine and crouched down, beginning to examine her for any wounds. You looked up to her and asked if she was okay, and she said she was. You cracked a small smile and pat her head, giving her a light praise before standing up again.

"What the hell happened here?" Christa asked. "I thought this place was supposed to be secure!" Her eyes had been scanning the room. You hadn't taken the time to do that, so... you did so.

Like you had mentioned before... there was blood everywhere, but no bodies accompanied it. A couple boxes of paper had been knocked over. Dirt and mold covered the walls. Doors were open, or lay broken on the ground. A couple lockers were opened, plants were seeping in through the ceiling, and there were small holes in different parts of the roof. Christa was right. What the fuck happened?

"What always happens, I guess..." Molly answered Christa's question with a casual tone, and a sigh. "In the end, the dead always win."

That freaked you out a little... and it freaked Clementine out, too. She moved closer to you, and you gently pat her head as you continued to look around. Ben continued to pace around, fisting his hair with his hands as he gave nervous breaths and mumbles.

"This is good." Vernon suddenly chimed in, voice soft. You looked to the old man, and then to Ryan, who had decided to speak up again.

"You know, the old man is right." He said. "We can deal with walkers easier than armed guards."

"I agree!" Kenny nodded. "As long as we don't let them box us in, we can do this. The plan hasn't changed."

Ben stopped in his pace and turned to Kenny, lightly scoffed. "The plan hasn't changed?!" He whispered. "Every time walkers show up, the plan changes. Do you even have any idea how many of them are out there?!"

"No." Christa suddenly came to Ben's side. She glared. "Do you wanna do a headcount? Or do you want to get what we need and get the hell out of here?!"

Ben blinked... and then quickly looked away, having nothing more to say. You felt a pang of pity for the teenager... but said nothing.

"Fuck you, Ben."

You heard Ryan mumble, his voice very, very soft. No one else seemed to hear it, but you had. You looked up to Ryan, and his eyes went wide when he realized you'd heard him. You rose a brow as if to say _Dude-What-Was-That-For?_, and he didn't respond.

"Come on, this way." Vernon mumbled. You turned and watched as he began descending a hallway. "I know which way to go."

The group began to walk, but before he did, Ben stared into the hallway and gave a small sigh.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

OoOoOo

You hadn't realized that the building your group had entered was a school, until everyone stepped inside a classroom. The classroom, which was dark and gloomy, looked like it used to be fun and colorful. There was a chalk-board, a globe, several inspiring posters, desks, shelves full of school supplies, colorful rugs, and large, boarded-up windows. The chalk-board had Crawford information written all over it. Beside the board, there was a door labeled _Armory._ Kenny and Ben had taken immediate notice to it and trotted over, trying to undo the lock that was apparently set. Everyone moved to different areas of the room as they made to get comfortable. You watched as Clementine moved to a desk and sat down in a chair, folding her hands together on the surface of the table. You smiled at that.

"It looks like they were using this class-room as some kind of command center," Ryan mumbled as he moved over to the chalk-board. Christa made his way to Ryan's side and looked up to it, giving nods of agreement as she traced her finger over an area on the board.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Felix piped up from one side of the room. "We're in the building. Now what?"

"Here." Vernon's voice suddenly piped up. Your group looked over the old man, watching as he looked over a small map that was placed next to the classroom door. He was tracing his finger over one spot of the map as he closely looked at it. You curiously trotted over to Vernon's side.

"Where would be the best place to look for Medicine?" You asked, your thoughts falling onto Omid. While getting fuel and a battery was important, Omid's health was even higher on the list. No man would be left behind when it came to health.

"Right here!" Marzia gasped, pointing to an area on the map. "The nurse's station. They were using it as a medical facility!"

Christa blinked. "How do _you_ know that?" She asked, voice slightly suspicious. Marzia looked a little nervous... which definitely grabbed your attention, but Molly spoke for her.

"Just... makes sense, doesn't it?" The blonde asked.

"How about fuel?" Ryan chimed in. "For the boat?"

"There's a maintenance shed across from the playground," Vernon mumbled. He reached up and pointed to the map. "here. If they _were _storing fuel, that's probably where it'd be."

"So, then..." You reached up to the map with your index finger. "All we need is a battery. There's an auto-shop right there. Do you think they'd put the battery there?"

"Yep." Vernon replied. "It's called 'Hermon's'. You can't miss it."

"Okay." Kenny spoke up. He'd moved away from the Armory (as Ben had also done) and made his way toward the map with the rest of the group. "I'll head over to the maintenance shed for the fuel."

"It'll be faster if I go with you," Vernon piped up. "I can take you right to it."

"I'll come too!" Ben suggested. Kenny turned to the teenager suddenly, and shook his head.

"No." He told the kid. "Two people's enough. You stay here and see if you can use any of those tools we brought to get that Armory door open." He paused. "We might need to shoot our way out of here."

Ben looked disappointed, but he didn't argue. He turned and made his way back over to the Armory, taking the red tool-box with him.

"I'll go for the medicine." Christa decided.

Marzia looked to her and smiled. "I'll come with you. I'll know what to take."

"Good," Felix mumbled. "I'll join the two of you, then."

"Okay, I guess that leaves [Your Name] and I to go find a battery," Ryan chimed in. "Shouldn't be too hard. I think we can handle it."

"I'll go with you both," Molly suddenly piped up. "You can never have too many people."

You slowly nodded at the offer, and smiled. "Thanks Molly."

"And you," Molly turned to Felix. "You keep an eye on Marzia. I don't want a scratch on her."

Felix chuckled. "Not a scratch," He promised.

"Okay, we've got a plan." Ryan continued. "Everyone be careful, and stay close to each other. We'll all meet back here when we're ready. Good luck."

OoOoOoO

"Can you get it open?"

"I don't know."

"Well, try!"

"But-"

"Come on, Ryan. You're always bragging about how strong you are. Lift the door!"

You watched with amusement as Ryan gave you a sympathetic, puppy-dog look. The two of you were outside, trying to get into the maintenance-shed. The entrance was blocked by a heavy metal door... the kind you can open from the bottom. However, they were usually really heavy and controlled by a remote... something the two of you didn't have.

And Molly had vanished, so the two of you were left to figure out how to get it open yourselves. Now, Ryan had attempted twice to open the door with his bare hands, and both times, he had failed, proving that the door was too heavy for him. You'd broken out into a fit of laughter, which he had shushed with a kiss. And now, the two of you were standing side by side, his arms crossed and your hands on your hips as you tried to figure out exactly how to open the door.

Suddenly, a body fell from... you were hoping the roof of another building, and slammed onto the ground. It was a corpse, but... a dead one. You gave a short scream as it fell only several feet away, and Ryan pulled you into his arms. He pulled his gun from his belt, but he had no need for it. Molly's slender figure suddenly jumped to the ground beside the corpse.

"LEAVE HIM!" She snarled. Your eyes widened, and you edged closer to Ryan as you saw the pure rage on her face. She stalked toward the corpse, her yellow weapon thing in her hand. She growled as she approached the walker.

"He's MINE." She informed. You watched with wide eyes as she began to angrily kick the corpse. She kicked it over and over again... even though it lay limp and lifeless. Then, she bent over and began to hack her weapon into it like no tomorrow.

You continued to stare with wide eyes, which was the same expression Ryan had on his face. The two of you stared, and when you realized Molly wasn't going to stop, Ryan finally called out to her. She spun around and glared.

"What?!" She snarled.

Ryan nervously swallowed... before gesturing to the corpse. "I think you got him."

Molly panted and snarled. "ONE MORE." She demanded, before throwing her blade into the corpse's skull. You tensed, unsure of what to think. Ryan moved away from your side and toward Molly, his steps slow, and cautious.

"He's wearing medical scrubs." The brunette stated. "Some kind of doctor, maybe?"

"Yeah, well..." Molly snarled and kicked the corpse again. "He ain't _shit_ now!" She sighed, and after she was done getting over her rage with the walker, she looked up to you and Ryan. You'd made your way over to Ryan's side to examine the corpse yourself.

"Did you find us a way in?" Molly asked.

Ryan slowly nodded. "Yeah, but the garage door is jammed. I can't raise it."

"Oh!" Molly laughed. She reached into her bag and suddenly pulled out a small crank before handing it to your boyfriend. "Not a problem. Look what I found."

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Oh, sweet! It's a... a thing!"

You gave a nod of approval, and your own small laugh. "That'll work!" You announced.

Ryan made his way over to the garage door, but the sudden sounds of groans stopped his walk. The three of you turned to look at the broken fence, watching as walkers, who realized you were there, began to try to get through. You watched the fence move. It wouldn't be long before the whole thing came down. You flashed Ryan a panicked look.

"Cry!" You snapped.

Ryan quickly nodded and dove to the bottom of the garage door, and after partially lifting it up, slid the crank thing underneath. Molly crouched beside Ryan, and the two began to deal with the door. Molly gave hurried remarks or grunts as the two tried to get the door opened. You stood and watched, feeling a little helpless.

You then turned to the fence and watched as it came down. The front row of walkers fell with it, but the ones behind them stumbled past, and began to make their way toward your small group. Your eyes widened further.

"C-Cry..." You mumbled. "Hurry...!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Ryan replied to you. There was a pause. "Okay! Get in!"

The door was opened enough for three bodies to slide through. Molly was the first to go in, and then you, and then Ryan.

When the three of you were in, you got to your feet and looked toward the door. The feet of walkers passed by, but now, they weren't exactly trying to get in. You gave a sigh of relief and gave Ryan a smile, before walking up to him and giving him a hug.

"You did it!" You laughed.

Ryan chuckled and gently rubbed your back with his hand, and planted a kiss on your forehead. "Of 'course I did. I can do anything!"

"Take a look around." Molly ordered to you both as she made her way toward the garage door. "I'm gonna make sure no stragglers get under this door."

"Sounds good."

_Cry's P.O.V._

_**HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK **_

__"Oh, FUCK!"

I screamed as I watched the car hit the ground, and initiate the loud, never-ending chorus of honking. My whole body tensed with fear, my hand using a particularly tough grip on Hilda (t'was the name the sharp weapon received from Molly). I looked over to Molly, as the hooded female got to her feet and turned to me.

"That's probably not good..." She started.

"No shit, it's not good!" [Your Name] spoke up from the middle of the room, eyes looking to the bottom of the garage door. Her eyes were wide with surprise and fear. She looked to me with a helpless expression, unsure of what to do. I gave her a shrug and looked to Molly, who had run up to me and grabbed her weapon from my hands.

"I'll try to hold them off!" She announced, before bolting back toward the garage door. "Hurry!"

I gave a quick nod and looked back to the loud-beeping car, and hurried as I took the battery from it's hood. Once I had it in my hands, I looked to Molly.

"I got it!"

"Good!" Molly replied. "But we've still got a problem here!"

[Your Name] had joined Molly, throwing her feet forward to kick the heads of walkers that were trying to crawl in. She looked fearful, but at the same time, determined. She had no weapon in her hand, though I noticed that she kept her arms a little closer to her gun than usual... just in case.

I ran over to the two of them, and at Molly's command, I slipped the battery into her back-pack. Once I did, she sprung up from where she crouched and moved toward the van. [Your Name] and I followed her as she ran, now having to avoid the walkers that were slipping inside.

"Move your ass!" Molly commanded as she climbed up the latter of the truck. We bolted after her, and after she'd made it to the top, I let [Your Name] go next. She was about half-way up before I hoisted myself onto the latter. I got up in just enough time to avoid the walker's hands that had moved to grab at my arm. We were quick to get to the top, and once we did, we looked around.

"What now?!" [Your Name] asked.

Walkers slammed themselves against the van, and pushed it back and fourth as they tried to get to us. I frantically looked around, and at the same time as Molly did, I found myself looking up toward the glass ceiling.

"Skylight!" Molly announced.

"Got it!" I replied. I grabbed the gun from my pocket and pointed it toward the ceiling, and pulled the trigger. A single shot flew through the air and pierced the glass, causing one of the large panes to shatter. After they did, I watched as Molly unhooked Hilda and jumped up, hooking the blade onto the edge of the skylight.

She hoisted herself over the edge, and then turned and leaned down. Before she could protest, I took [Your Name] by the waist and hoisted her up. Molly grabbed her arms and pulled her up over the edge. They then turned and leaned down, and each one took my hand. They both hoisted me over the edge... and as soon as my foot left the van, the whole vehicle knocked over, causing a loud crash to sound. I looked over the edge and watched the walkers swarm the van. My eyes widened, and I looked to the two girls.

"You two okay?" I asked.

[Your Name] slowly nodded. "I'm fine."

"I am, too." Molly replied. "We've got the battery. Let's go."

_Your P.O.V._

The two of you walked through the hallway together, fingers intertwined as you held hands. ...It wasn't the perfect scene to be having romantic feelings in... but hell, was there ever a romantic scene during the Zombie Apocalypse? You thought not. So the two of you walked together, hand in hand, looking around the hallway as you observed the condition of the building.

Molly had helped you guys back into the hall, but she'd kept the battery, promising she'd return with it later, and ran off, leaving you and Ryan confused, and a little annoyed. However, you somehow trusted that Molly would return, so you didn't fret too much over the fact that she'd run off with the battery. Now, all you had to do was get back to the classroom, and wait for everyone else to show up-

"A LITTLE HELP HERE?!"

You gasped, giving a small, startled scream as the glass double-doors swung open, revealing Kenny and Vernon. They set the gallons of fuel on the ground before spinning around and bracing themselves against the door, trying to prevent the crowd of walkers that were trying to break through. Realizing what the issue was, you and Ryan dove in to help, bracing yourselves against the door.

Soon enough, the doors shut, and you watched as Kenny pulled a small axe from his belt and jammed it between the door handles. The four of you backed away and watched as the walkers tried to get through... but failed. You gave a relieved sigh and turned to Kenny, and then looked down to the fuel.

"You got the fuel!" You grinned. "Good job!"

Kenny, after recovering from the slight scare that happened a couple moments before, gave you a curt nod and took two gallons of fuel into his hands.

"Let's not start high-fiving each other just yet," Kenny replied, trying to speak over the loud groans of the walkers. Let's get the hell back to the classroom." He gestured to Vernon, who was holding about five gallons of fuel (HOW DID HE DO IT?!). "Give us a hand with these fuel cans. They weigh a God-damned ton."

OoOoOoO

When you walked into the classroom, Clementine was the first one to greet you. Her eyes were lit up, and her face was beaming. She gave a delighted smile as her eyes fell upon you.

"You're back!" She exclaimed. You smiled at her, but it was Kenny who spoke next.

"Yeah, and we made out pretty good, too."

Ben looked over his shoulder, his body hunched over by the Armory door. "Great work, Kenny!" The teenager praised.

Kenny smiled, and set down the fuel cans he held. "How are you doing on that door?"  
You followed suit and set down the heavy cans you held... and so did Ryan and Vernon. Ben looked up from where he crouched and lightly shook his head.

"Not so good." He admitted.

Kenny gave a huff and made his way to Ben's side. "Here, let me give you a hand." He said softly. He crouched down beside the teenager and began to fiddle with the door, and as he did, he looked over his shoulder to you and Ryan. "Get that battery yet?" He asked.

"Yeah... Molly has it." Ryan replied. "She should be back here, soon."

Kenny gave a slightly irritated frown and put his attention back toward the door. "She'd better be." He mumbled.

"What do we need?" Ben piped up again. You took a few steps toward the middle of the classroom.

"We've already got the fuel and the battery," You replied. You watched Ben stand up and walk toward you. "Once we find the medicine, we'll be good to go."

"So," Kenny looked over his shoulder. "Where's this battery you found?"

Seriously? Had Kenny not been listening like, five seconds ago?

"Molly has it." You reminded the short-term-memory-loss redneck. "She went to go do something."

"Well, she'd better bring it back here." Kenny growled, as he had said before. "I don't know why you trusted that girl with it. We hardly know her."

You lightly frowned at the comment. "She saved your life, didn't she?" You asked.

"Hmph. Yeah," Kenny replied. "But what has she done for me _lately_?"

"Wait..."

Ben lowered his voice into a whisper. You felt Ryan at your side. Ben took a step closer to both of you... his body only inches away. He looked down at his feet.

"Um, there is something you can help me with, after all." He told you two. "Something that has been on my mind. I could use your opinion."

Ryan hummed. "What is it?"

"It's Kenny." Ben whispered. "Since I've been working with him on the boat, I've gotten to know him a little better. He's a good guy, you know?" He looked back up to you two and crossed his arms. "And it's eating me up... knowing what I know."

You tensed. You didn't like this subject. At all.

"I've been thinking about telling him the truth," Ben finished.

"Ben, come on." Ryan mumbled. "This again?"

"It's _my_ fault Duck and Katjaa got killed." Ben whispered. "If I hadn't screwed up back at the motor-inn, they'd still be alive. How am I supposed to just carry something like that around? I have to tell him."

There was silence between you, Ryan, and Ben as the three of you thought about the situation. Telling Kenny in this moment wasn't a good idea. But not telling Kenny at all was bad. Something had to be done.

"I agree," You finally started, your voice a whisper. "You should tell him. Just... not right now."

"You don't get it, [Your Name]!" Ben snapped in a hushed tone. "What am I supposed to do whenever he talks about Katjaa and Duck? Just nod, and pretend it wasn't my fault?" He sighed. "I can't do it anymore."

"Ben, listen." Ryan chimed in. "Kenny seems like he's gotten his shit back together, because right now, he's got a purpose. But he's still in a really bad place. If you tell him now, he's going to flip shit. ...And then we're all screwed." He looked Ben in the eyes. "There will come a time when he's ready to hear it... but not now. Not yet."

Ben frowned, obviously pissed. He turned and walked away, not saying another word. You gave a look of sympathy as you watched the teenager go. You knew how he felt, but... you also knew that now wasn't the time to resolve things. That should come later. You looked up to Ryan and put a hand on his shoulder, and mouthed "Thank You".

OoOoOoO

The two of you had gone back to walking through the halls together, after you finished checking on Clementine. Ben was angry at you, Kenny was determined to get inside the Armory, Vernon had busied himself with striking up a conversation with Clementine, and there wasn't anyone else to socialize with.

You and Ryan had suddenly grown concerned with Felix, Marzia, and Christa's absence. You wanted to make sure the three of them were okay. So the two of you ventured back into the hallway, hoping you might see Molly as you did so. And as you both turned the corner, your eyes fell upon a small crowd of walkers trying to get into a door.

You suddenly had a guess on where your three friends were.

You and Ryan, sharing the same thoughts, rose your guns and began to soot at the walkers. A couple of them turned to you as you shot, but they soon went down with the rest of their rotton-faced buddies. It wasn't long before they were all dead, and the door was at peace once more. You sighed and put your gun into your belt, and after checking to make sure Ryan was okay (why wouldn't he be?), the two of you opened the door and ventured inside.

It was a nurses room, as you expected. Felix, Marzia, and Christa had been hiding behind pieces of furniture with their guns ready and pointed at the door. However, when they realized who had taken care of the walkers, they gave small sighs of relief and took you both out of their lines of fire. They emerged from their hiding spots and made their way toward you both.

"What the hell happened?" Ryan asked, quirking a brow.

Christa mumbled nervously. "They had wandered into the hallway after we got inside," She informed. "I think they must of heard us rooting around in here. The _whole place_ is infested! They're everywhere!"

"Calm down!" You told her as politely as you could. "We took care of them. What about the medicine? Did we find what we need?"

Felix had made his way toward a locked cabinet in the corner of the room while Christa and you had spoken, and sighed when you asked the question. He gestured to the cabinet.

"That's our other problem." He informed. "It seems like they'd been keeping all the important medicine in this safe... and it's locked up tight."

"Hey, no worries, friend." Ryan moved forward and made his way next to the blonde Swede. "Perhaps we can bust this open?"

"Maybe with enough time," Marzia chimed in. "But we don't have much of that right now. It'd be quicker if we knew the four-digit combination."

"Well, I doubt they just wrote it down in here for us to find." Christa grumbled as she walked around the room. "We should just try busting it open... we don't have any other choice."

"Okay, let's get started, then." Ryan spoke again. "[Your Name] and I will look around outside and see if we can find anything useful. Maybe the code is in one of the lockers in the hallways."

Marzia, Christa, and Felix seemed fine with this, and went to try to bust the cabinet open. Ryan left their side and walked toward you, flashing you a small smile as he approached.

"Wanna go take a look around outside?"

You hesitated... looking to the group of three in the corner as they tried their useless attempts to get the cabinet open. You then looked back to Ryan, and nodded.

"Sure."

_Cry's P.O.V._

It fucking took forever, but [Your Name] and I had finally found the code... kind of. [Your Name] and I had gone hunting around for the code, and finally, we wound up outside. We'd come across the walker that Molly had kicked the shit out of, and discovered a video tape inside his jacket.

After that, through the hallway, we'd stumbled upon an open locker, that revealed another video tape. We'd played the tape we found on the desk in the nursery, and then the second one. The second one gave the combination, but after that, everyone beside [Your Name] and I didn't care about the third.

Felix, Marzia, and Christa went back to the classroom, leaving me and [Your Name] about our business. We decided to play the third tape, and...

"Molly..." [Your Name] had gasped.

_"Listen, as fun as this was, I have to put a stop to this little arrangement. This is the last I can give you." A doctor inside the medical room zipped up the zipper of his pants and turned to face a young woman sitting on the bed._

_ "Why?!" The young woman, a cleaner, saner-looking version of Molly demanded an explanation as she got to her feet._

_ "Oberson had someone in here yesterday, taking inventory. They're really cracking down. I just can't risk it." The doctor replied. He pulled a small bag of medication from his cabinet and handed it to her._

_ Molly looked enraged. "We had a deal!"_

_ "Yes. We HAD a deal." The doctor crossed his arms. "We don't anymore."_

_ "My sister NEEDS this medicine! Without it, she'll die, or... she'll start showing symptoms and they'll take her away!" Molly pointed out. She snatched the bag from her doctor's hands. "I can't let that happen."_

_ "I'm sorry, Molly, I've done all I can, but I have to look out for myself here." The doctor sighed and turned away. Molly, incredibly pissed, roughly shouldered him with her own shoulder before storming out of the room._

_"Yeah... 'cause that's the Crawford way, isn't it?"_


	27. Chapter 27

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven**_

_**A Heart Rebroken**_

_Your P.O.V._

You and Ryan walked through the halls together again, completely silent as you thought about the tape you had just seen. Molly... had been having sex with the Crawford Medic, so her sister could get the medicine she needed for whatever her medical issue was, so that she could stay in Crawford and they wouldn't take her away. It all made sense now.

Molly's bitterness toward Crawford. How she kicked the crap out of the Medic's corpse state. How she knew where the nursery was. She was originally from Crawford... and must have escaped when they possibly took her sister... or when her sister died.

A sudden thump sounded behind you and Ryan. The two of you widened your eyes and spun around, colored orbs falling upon Molly's ninja-like figure. She smirked at your guys' reactions and gave a small laugh as she straightened her stance.

"Jesus, Molly!" Ryan gave a startled sigh. "You scared the shit out of us!"

"Where the fuck have you been?" You asked, crossing your arms.

Molly smiled as she approached you guys. You noticed her hood was off of her head.

"Sightseeing." Molly replied.

You blinked. Then blinked again. And then a third time.

"Sightseeing?"

"We'll take that battery, now." Ryan interrupted. Molly's eyes widened, and she swallowed.

"Oh... yeah... about that..."

You blinked again. "Did you loose the fucking-"

"Oh, calm down, [Your Name]. I have it right here."

You gave a relieved sigh as she handed the battery to you. You took the battery into your arms and then looked to Ryan. His eyes were focused on Molly, and... he seemed a little curious. You suddenly realized what was going through his head, and you hoped to God that he wasn't going to bring up-

"I know you're from Crawford, Molly."

Shit.

Molly looked confused. And then, slight dread hit her face. She shifted from one leg to the other nervously and looked up at him.

"What?" She asked. "Who told you that?"  
"We saw you on a security tape." You replied. You supposed you ought to join Ryan. "Why'd you lie to us?"

"I said there were stories about Crawford," Molly sighed. "I never said that's how I knew about it. I never lied to you – and even if I did, so what? I don't owe you anything."

"You saved our lives twice," Ryan pointed out. "But you can't tell us the truth?"

Molly grumbled. "Are we really gonna do this now?"

You rolled your eyes. "I guess that's up to you." You told her.

Molly bit her lip, debating over the idea in her head. Then, she finally sighed, and gave a slow nod. "I used to live here with my sister," She started. "She was fourteen years old. When the dead started walking and Crawford shut itself in, it seemed like a pretty good deal at first. We were safe, and we had everything we needed to survive." She paused, and then crossed her arms and sighed again.

"Then the rules starting coming down. No one who couldn't justify their place. No one who required special care. ...My sister was diabetic... and by Crawford's rules, that made her a liability. I kept it a secret, and I kept her safe for as long as I could, b-but in the end..." Molly started to stammer, and looked away. "I couldn't protect her. That's when I got out. Crawford always talked about how their system worked, and how anything was better than becoming one of the geeks.

"But I'd saw what they'd already become, and I just wish I could have seen it before it was too late. ...Before they came and took my sister away." She reached up and wiped a tear away. You felt a pang of pity in your heart. The poor, poor girl. Suddenly, she pulled a picture from her pocket and showed it to the two of you.

"This is all I have left of her," She told you. The photo was of a very beautiful teenage girl, who looked very similar to Molly. "I didn't have time to take it before I got out of Crawford. I just... wanted it, okay?"

"I understand," Ryan replied, his tone soft. He looked to the picture. "She's beautiful."

"Thanks..." Molly mumbled.

You suddenly frowned, a new thought hitting you. "When did you meet Marzia?" You asked.

Molly looked up to you, and gave you a sad smile. "Oh," She lightly chuckled. "After a couple weeks of surviving alone in the city, I came across a girl fighting a couple of the geeks in the street. She was going to die if I didn't save her ass... so I did. And... I'm glad I ran into her. She reminds me so much of my sister. I'll be damned if I let Marzia get hurt, or killed, like my sister ha-"

The sudden sound of a bell ringing caught you three's attention. Everyone looked up and around, eyes wide. Molly cursed under her breath with confusion.

"I think that's our que to get the hell out of here..." Ryan mumbled.

_Cry's P.O.V._

"What the fuck is going on?!"

"They're coming!"

"Oh, shit!"

The classroom was now filled with frantic people as they rushed to grab the things they needed from where they left them. Marzia braced herself against the classroom door as the walkers tried to get in. Surprisingly, Felix wasn't beside her. The Swede was across the room, trying to help get the Armory door opened.

"That'll hold them!" Vernon mumbled.

"Yeah, but how do we get out?!" Marzia asked.

"We have to get this damned door open!" Kenny snapped. He charged the door and slammed his arm into it, but it didn't budge. He did it again. And again. And again. I was worried about the man hurting his shoulder, but I knew I needed to focus on other things.

I looked around the room, my eyes landing on [Your Name]. She'd been standing at the side of the classroom, Clementine at her side. She looked to me with worried, pleading eyes. Beside me, Ben guiltily offered the axe he'd pulled from the door by mistake. I lightly frowned from him, annoyed, and took it from his hold. He sighed and began to look around, nervousness growing inside.

"This is my fault... all my fault!" He started. My eyes widened. Oh, shit, not now!

"Ben, what the hell are you babbling about?" Christa asked.

I took a step forward, closer to the fretting teenager. "Ben, we talked about this-"

"Wait, no. I want to know what he meant." Christa interrupted, voice suspicious. She looked to Ben and rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean, this is all your fault?"

"K-Kenny," Ben started. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, man."

"DON'T!" I snapped. "Don't! Not now, Ben!"

"Ben, this isn't the best time!" Kenny snapped as he continued rushing the door. "Whatever you did, save it for later!"

"Ben!" I snapped again. "Shut the fuck up!"

Ben turned toward you and snarled. "Fuck you, Cry!" He snapped. "I can't do it anymore!" He looked back to Kenny. "It was me all along, putting all of us in danger. Katjaa and Duck... it was all me... it was all me."

"DUDE!" I shrieked. "NO!"

Suddenly, the door came down, thanks to an extra powerful push Kenny had suddenly thrown in. He stopped for a moment as he stared at the door he'd kicked down, and then slowly turned to look at Ben. Absolutely rage plastered his face. My eyes widened.

"Wait a minute..." He said softly. "What are you saying?"

"It was me who made a deal with the bandits at the motor-inn-"

"GOD DAMN IT!" I interrupted.

"-Slipping them supplies." Ben continued. "I thought it would keep them off our backs. When they got discovered, that's when they attacked. And that's when Duck..."

Kenny bolted toward Ben. I bolted toward Kenny. I latched onto his right arm and pulled him back. In a matter of moments, Felix was at the other side, pulling Kenny's other arm back. Kenny was strong... and tried his hardest to struggle out of our grasp, but we kept a tight hold. I winced at Kenny's rage.

"Kenny, I agree with you!" I said quickly, before he could say anything. "You SHOULD kick his ass! But now is not the time! We gotta focus on getting out of he-"

"YOU LITTLE PISS-ANT!" Kenny screamed. "YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD! MY WIFE AND CHILD?! YOU GOT THEM BOTH FUCKING KILLED!"

"Kenny!" I snapped. "Listen to me! You can whoop his ass later! But right now, we've gotta go!"

Kenny growled, but he stopped struggling. Felix and I were cautious as we loosened our grips on his arms. He straightened up and sent Ben a rage-filled glare.

"Nice group you got, here." Molly commented.

I glared. "Not the time, Molly."

"IF THIS ASSHOLE THINKS HE'S GETTING ON _MY_ BOAT AFTER WHAT HE _DID_, HE'S OUT OF HIS MOTHER FUCKING MIND." Kenny shoved Ben. "YOU HEAR ME, SHITBIRD? YOU CAN STAY BEHIND AND _FUCKING ROT_!"

"Kenny, we'll sort this out later!" I snapped. "AFTER we get out of here, okay?!"

"Ain't nothing to sort out!" Kenny snarled. "I just told you the way it's gonna be!" He then turned and looked around the room. Clementine looked terrified. "The boat's not big enough for all of us!" He announced. "Some people have to be left behind! We might as well start with THIS PIECE OF SHIT right here!" He gestured to Ben as he called the insult.

"Well, I vote we leave him." Christa crossed her arms as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Ben. I know you mean well, but all I wanna do is get back to Omid, and you put that at risk."

"Wait!" Clementine suddenly spoke up. She moved away from [Your Name]'s arms and moved to my side. I looked down at her, curiously. "Don't I get a vote?"

"Of 'course you do, sweet-pea!" I told her.

Clementine frowned. "Ben's nice." She stated. "He's my friend! We don't leave friends behind. That's my vote."

Christa's eyes widened as Clementine's words. She suddenly stammered. "O-On second thought, I think I'm gonna abstain." She turned to me. "Cry? [Your Name]? Felix?"

"I think Ben should stay with us." [Your Name] piped up from where she stood. "He's been a good, helpful member in this group. People make mistakes, and... we can fix this."

"WE CAN'T FIX THE DEATH OF MY WIFE AND CHILD." Kenny snapped at her.

"I also think we should let him come with us," Felix piped up, walking to my side. "I agree with [Your Name]'s reasoning."

"Cry?" Christa asked. "Your vote?"

"I've seen enough of Crawford to know that becoming like them is the beginning of the end," I decided. "I vote Ben stays with us."

"Wait," Marzia piped up. Everyone turned to her. She was leaned against the door, watching us curiously. "What about the rest of us? Don't we get a say in-"

Suddenly, the hand of a walker smashed through the glass in the door, hooked around Marzia's neck, and pulled her through. The door opened, and walkers began to pile in. One walker covered Marzia's body and sunk it's teeth into her neck, and I watched with absolute horror as Marzia screamed.

...And then Felix screamed.

...And then Molly screamed.

Before I even realized it was happening, Felix was at Marzia's side, battling off walkers as he tried to get her to her feet. The Italian woman had a hunk of her neck missing, massive amounts of blood trickling down her neck, and into her shirt. I knew she wasn't going to make it. Not now.

But I did the best I could to help my best friend and dove forward, battling off walkers at the door as he pulled her away. By the time the walkers were flooding the door, and I couldn't stop them anymore, Marzia had slowly died in Felix's arms. Tears flooded down the blonde's face as he screamed her name over and over, his hands violently shaking under her body. Behind him, Molly's face was dark, and you could see the tears staining her skin as she silently cried.

"We have to go!"

[Your Name]'s voice called from the opened Armory door, which the rest of the group of survivors was piling into. She disappeared with Clementine close at her side. Ben seemed a little hesitant, unsure of if he should truly go or not. I ignored the teenager for now and quickly walked up to Felix, grabbing his wrist and yanking him up off the ground.

Felix screamed in refusal and tried to throw a punch, but I dodged it and grabbed the other wrist with my free hand. I brought him close to me and frowned, looking into his eyes.

"Pewds, listen, I am so, _so_ sorry," I started, trying to speak above the noises of the on-coming walkers. "I can't imagine what you're going through. But right now, walkers are coming, and if we don't leave, we are going to _die_!"

"I don't want to go!" Felix screamed out while he cried. "N-Not without Marzia!"

"She's _DEAD, _Felix!" I snarled. "It won't be long before she _does_ become one of those things!"

I looked back to the walkers, in just enough time to see one close enough reach out to grab me. I quickly pulled my gun from my belt and pressed the barrel to the walker's temple, and pulled the trigger. The walker went down, but it's spot was literally taken by another. And then another. They kept coming after every one I shot. I knew I'd run out of bullets soon.

Finally, I kept a tight hold on Felix's wrist as I began to head toward the door. This time, he didn't refuse, but I could tell he was reluctant to leave. Ahead of me, Molly looked upset, but thankfully it hadn't stopped her from using her brains and trying to get out. I quickly followed after, and after Felix and I had gone through the door, I let go of Felix, turned around, put the door back up, and braced myself against it. Loads of walkers tried to pile through, so I used all the strength I could to keep it closed.

I found myself lifting my gaze to meet the inside of the Armory. ...Everything was taken. In the center of the room, there was a large spiral-staircase that either led up or down. There were shelves where people usually kept guns, but they'd been cleared, only leaving behind one shot-gun, and a few shells. Kenny had trotted over and gotten one of the guns, though I couldn't help but comment.

"So much for the armory."

"Or what's left of it," Kenny replied.

Christa had also made her way over to the shelves, and began looking around, but she looked up to the rest of the group when she came up with nothing.

"One gun, and only a few rounds for it. That's it." She said.

"That's fucking great." Kenny grumbled. He then turned around, and looked to the staircase. He moved forward and leaned over the railing to look, and then pointed.

"Come on, there's gotta be a way out down here!"

I left the door to do it's own thing as I raced toward the rest of the group. I stayed close to [Your Name] and Clementine as we all took off down the stairs. When we got to the bottom, all that was down there was scattered boxes full of paper, and blood splatters. I raced toward the small door against the wall and opened it... to reveal walkers roaming around on the other side. They all looked to me with hungry expressions. My eyes widened.

"Heyyyy! ...Don't mind us!" I mumbled to them, before quickly shutting the door. I looked back to Kenny. "That's not going to work, Kenny..."

"Fuuuuuuck!" Kenny yelled.

The door burst open, and I gasped as I threw myself against it again, shutting it completely. I used all of my weight against it and looked back to the group. "It's not going to hold!" I told them. "Get back upstairs!"

[Your Name] loaded her gun, and kept her free hand on one of Clementine's as the group began to make their way back upstairs. While the rest of the group ran upstairs, Kenny suddenly stopped in his tracks, and turned to me. Without warning, he tossed me the shot-gun he had taken from the shelves.

I caught it without a problem, and gave him a thankful nod. He nodded back, and took off upstairs to find the others. I followed after, turned around, and began to make my way up the stairs backward. I cocked the gun and aimed it at the door, and watched as the entrance swung open to reveal walkers. I bit my lip and shot one of them, and continued to back up the stairs.

They were hurried as they stumbled across the ground and made it to the bottom of the stairs. They began to climb up, becoming a little slower now as they taught themselves how to climb the stairs. I continued to back away, trying my hardest to keep a good aim as I continued to shoot at them.

As I continued climbing upward, they began to follow, turning the corners that I'd turned only moments ago. I shot one after another, worried about how many bullets I'd have left in the stupid weapon. I continued to back away, shooting at them, hoping I'd get upstairs... when suddenly, one of the steps gave way under me, and my right foot slipped through. I fell to the stairs, and gave a worried, scared gasp as I realized I was stuck. Above me, I could hear [Your Name] scream my name.

I aimed the gun and shot a close walker, before moving to pull my leg out of the hole. It wasn't long before I was free, and when I was, I got back to my feet and scrambled up the stairs to get away. However, as I turned around, I screamed as I came face-to-face with another set of walkers... coming _down_ the stairs. I rose my gun and delivered a bullet to the closest-one's face, and then gasped as the one behind it went down without my doing. I looked up toward the second level of the stairs, and saw Christa leaning over the trailing, aiming with her silver hand-gun.

I gave her a thankful nod, and then watched as she took off with the rest of the group. I looked back to the walkers and lifted to aim, but my gun had only clicked as I pulled the trigger. No more bullets. I grunted, and reached into my belt to grab the axe Ben had given me earlier. Keeping a sturdy grip on the handle, I began to climb the stair-case again. I grew close to a walker and swung my axe forward, jamming it into it's skull, and pushing it over the railing.

I then moved upward again and did the same to another walker... and come the third, I raised my left foot and kicked, and the walker went falling off of the railing. I gave a successful smile and turned the corner, before shoving another walker off of the railing with the axe.

When I reached the top, I noticed the rest of the group had gathered toward a window. In the middle of the room, a giant bell hung from the ceiling. Kenny looked over his shoulder as he noticed my arrival, and egged me to follow. [Your Name] looked relieved to see me, and I watched as Clementine sprinted over to give me a hug. I quickly crouched down and smiled, pulling the little girl into my arms, before pulling away and looking into her eyes.

"You okay, Clem?" I asked. "You hurt?"

Clementine quickly shook her head. "No, we're all okay." Her smile suddenly faded. "But Marzia..."

"We have to go!" Kenny snapped again.

I stood up, and let Clementine return to [Your Name]'s side as I approached the group. I weaved through the small crowd of people and made my way to the window, leaning out and looking around. I could see the whole city... even the sun that was beginning to rise behind the towers. From the window, the roof was accessible... as Christa had pointed out only several seconds after I'd noticed. Suddenly, Vernon gave an uncomfortable grunt.

"Ya'll didn't come from the railroad, did you?" He asked.

I rose an eyebrow as I looked to him. "Yeah, why?"

Vernon stared for a moment, before slowly shaking his head, and looking back toward the roof. "Nevermind!" He announced. "I can see the sewer where we came in from here. I think we can do this."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Kenny demanded. "Go! GO!"

People began to climb over the window, but I stayed behind a moment to help everyone. After I'd boosted Clementine over, [Your Name] was next. She gave me a worried expression.

"Ryan," She whispered my name softly. "We're not going to make it!"

I leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, putting my hands on her shoulders. A blush spread along her face. When I pulled away, I gave her a serious look.

"We're going to be fine." I told her. "Go. Go now!"

[Your Name] was hesitant, but she finally gathered up her courage and hopped over the window, and onto the roof. After she did, Felix went next. His expression was one of misery and fear, but all the same, he went with the rest of the group. He hopped over the window and went to [Your Name] and Clementine's sides to make sure they were okay.

At the sudden sounds of groaning, I found myself looking back toward the staircase. The groans were echoed, but that didn't mean they weren't going to show the source. Kenny turned and hoisted himself over the edge, and when he did, I looked back over to the only other person remaining inside the building beside me.

Ben.

"Ben, come on!" I snapped. "Let's go!"

Suddenly, the bell began to go off. My eyes went wide as I watched it go back and fourth, the sound loudly ringing in my ears. Ben gasped and covered his ears, flinching at the loud noise. At the end of the bell's rope, a noose had been made, and a walker swung back and fourth on it.

I watched with wide eyes as the walker flew forward and latched onto Ben, before pulling him back. Ben screamed as his body was pulled backward, and through the railing. The railing broke from his weight. I gasped and ran forward, trying to grab Ben from the walker before it bit him.

I was successful, but the walker went falling to the ground, causing Ben to fall, too. I moved forward and quickly took hold of the teenager's wrist, keeping a tight hold as I looked down at him.

"God damn it!" I cursed. "Hang on, Ben! I've got you!"

Underneath the teen, at the railing closest to his feet, walkers reached up to try and grab his legs. I gave a nervous breath and tried to pull Ben upward.

"Come on Ben, climb up!" I egged on. "You can do it!"

"There's no time!" Ben argued, looking down at the walkers. "You have to go, now!"

"There IS time!" I argued. "Quit fucking around! Come ON!"

"LET GO, DAMN IT!" Ben growled, looking back up to me. "Get Clem and the others out of here!"

"BEN!" I argued.

"Cry."

The sudden voice came from behind me. I blinked and looked over my shoulder, to see Kenny on the other side of the window. He had a look on his face... and it was all he needed to be able to tell me he wanted me to let the teenager go.

I frowned. _No, no, no._ I thought to him. I turned around and looked back down to Ben, and then noticed walkers climbing up the staircase, onto _my_ level. I gave a grunt of worry and annoyance and looked down to the teen once more, trying to pull him up again. His weight was too heavy.

"C-Come on!" I told him.

He looked up to me with a sad gaze. He slowly shook his head. "Cry..." He said softly. "We both know..."

His grip on my arm loosened, and he slipped a little. I gasped and tightened my grip, not wanting to get him go. I growled and used all the strength I had to pull him up. Soon enough, he was on the ground of my level of the stairs. I got to my feet, and so did he, and he turned to me and rose a brow.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because-" I started to speak, but the close growls of walkers had cut me off. Walkers were racing toward us now, ready to get their hands on our flesh. I turned to Ben, before urging him to go, and ran over to the window. Ben went over first, and then me. We got onto the roof, and fled, escaping to our freedom with our lives.

_Your P.O.V._

"Christa? Everything okay?"

Your group had made it back to the house, with tired heads, aching feet, and pounding hearts. However, everyone of you had survived. ...Well... except for Marzia. She was the only one who had died on the mission. Felix had been very quiet on the way back, but you couldn't blame him.

You'd stuck close to the Swede and kept an arm around him for support. Unlike Kenny, he liked the support you'd given him, and stayed close to you while you guys journeyed back to the house. When you'd arrived, everyone went off to go mentally recover. However, Christa and Vernon had stopped by the kitchen. Christa had looked upset... and it was Ryan who had asked the question.

Christa quickly shook her head. "Omid!" She gasped. She ran up the stairs, and curious, you were quick to follow. You left Felix's side... and noticed the Swede hadn't followed. Your focus on him vanished as you followed the concerned lady up the stairs, and into Omid's bedroom. Omid lay on the bed, his chest unmoving, and his eyes closed. He looked a little pale... too pale for your liking. You felt dread and worry begin to grow inside you. Had Omid passed?

"Did he die?" Ryan whispered, eyes wide with uncertainty and surprise. He kept close to you and Clementine, unsure if it was safe for the two of you at that moment. You stuck close to your boyfriend, and also made sure Clementine was okay.

"Christa, don't!" You suddenly called out. "Stay back!"

Christa ignored you, tears falling down her face as she knelt beside the bed and took Omid's hand into hers. She looked over him, lips quivering as she cried.

"I never should have left you... I'm so sorry..." She sobbed.

"Christa, get away from him!" Vernon snapped.

Christa looked over at us, but with the sudden sound of a grunt from Omid, she looked back to her boyfriend. All eyes fell upon the man as he slowly lifted himself into a half-sitting position. He stared at you all with a confused expression, and then smiled.

"Hey!" He said cheerfully... yet weakly. "Back already?"

He was very much alive.

You gave a relieved chuckle as a smile spread across your lips. Christa continued to cry, but they were happy, now. She leaned forward.

"We got you medicine!" She told him.

"Good..." Omid's voice was soft, but confident. "I feel like I could use some."

Vernon walked over and popped open a bottle of pills, before slipping some into Omid's mouth. Omid swallowed them without a problem. He then looked around the room, eyes flicking to the people that had gathered inside. His eyes finally landed on Ben. The teenager looked ashamed, and wouldn't lift his gaze to meet anyone else's.

"You okay, kid?" Omid asked, sounding a little concerned. "You look worse than I do."

Kenny scoffed and crossed his arms, glaring at Ben, "We almost didn't make it out of there, because of this asshole. We should have left him behind, when we had the chance."

At that last part, he sent a glare toward Ryan. Ryan frowned back, and pulled you a little closer to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Omid cut him off.

"Guys, what the hell happened out there?"

Kenny angrily sighed and made his way toward the door. "Let someone else tell you." He grumbled. "I've got work to do."

As he went to the door, he looked to you, and stopped. "I'll take that battery, now."

You were confused, and gave him an odd look, before looking down to your arms, and realizing you were still holding the battery. You hoisted the heavy object into his arms. He took it without a thanks, and made his way out of the room. You watched him go, and then looked to Ben... who still wouldn't look at anyone.

Vernon leaned over Omid as he examined his leg. "Okay. With a little luck, you should start feeling better pretty soon." He told his patient. He then looked to Christa. "I'll stay here for a few more hours to check on him... let me know if you need anything."

Christa gave a thankful smile. "Thank you so much." She whispered.

Vernon left Christa and Omid's side, and made his way across the room. He stopped by the door, and looked over to you and Ryan. He looked the two of you up and down, before mumbling.

"Maybe now's a good time for the three of us to talk. ...In private."

Ryan gave a smile. "Sure thing, Vernon." He replied.

The three of you left the room, leaving whoever was left inside to do what they wanted. Clementine had left the room at some point and gone somewhere else, along with Kenny and Molly. As you, Vernon, and Ryan made your way into the hallway, you picked a place that you were sure no one would hear you in. You stood next to Ryan and turned to Vernon.

"What's up, Doc?" You asked.

Vernon sighed, and crossed his arms, soft eyes sending you a weary gaze. "I know you two care about Clementine," He started out. "Anyone can see that. The two of you are great parental-figures to her. And I know both of you want what's best for her." He paused... his eyes shifting between you and Ryan. "But this plan of yours – putting everyone on a boat with no destination – Do you really think that's her best chance of finding somewhere where she can be safe? Because I don't." He paused again. You didn't like where this was going. You felt Ryan tense. "So, I want to make you an offer." Vernon mumbled.

Ryan frowned. "What?" He asked. "What kind of an offer?"

Vernon sighed. "I'll take her off your hands." He started again. "Take her back with me, to my people. We're well supplied, well hidden, and a lot of us have had kids of our own. And now that Crawford's fallen, we've got nothing left to fear from them. She'll be safe with us. Safer than she will be if she stays with you. I promise you." He rose a brow. "That's what you want for her, isn't it? To be safe?"

You quickly shook your head. "No," You stated. "You're coming at us with a lot here, Vernon. We need to think it over."

"Of 'course!" Vernon agreed. "Take some time. But I want you both to think about some things." He looked to Ryan. "You're a good man, Cry. You've been protecting these people as best as you can so far, and they look up to you... rightly so. But it's different with a child. You've brought her this far, but sooner or later, she may ask you for more than you can give her. I'm sorry if that's hard to hear, but it's the truth."

You bit your lip. You could feel tears swell in your eyes. You didn't like it. You didn't like it at all. Ryan detected your sense of discomfort and pulled you closer to him, before looking to the doctor again.

"We appreciate it, Vernon." He told him. "Let us think about it, okay?"

"You do that." Vernon replied. He turned away from you both, sending you a look of sympathy, before walking off into a different part of the house. When he was gone, you turned toward Ryan and quickly shook your head.

"No." You told the man immediately.

"I know, I know." Ryan slowly nodded. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Clem, alright? She isn't going anywhere. Not with Vernon unless she really wants to."

You slowly sighed, and gave a small smile as Ryan took you into his arms. "Good..." You mumbled tiredly. You rested your head on his shoulder and gave a soft yawn.

Suddenly, Ryan tensed.

"Going somewhere?"

You were confused, and you lifted your head away from his shoulder and looked in the direction he was looking. Molly was heading toward the stairs, resting her hand on the railing. At the sound of Ryan's voice, she stopped, and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes fell onto Ryan, and then onto you. She looked at you curiously, but decided not to ask what the deal was. Instead, she trotted over, and gave a small nod.

"Yeah," She told him. "I was just about to head out. I-..." She sighed. "I just wanted to say thanks. For everything..."

Ryan gave a slow sigh. "I'm sorry about Marzia." He mumbled. "I know she was important to you."

Molly looked a little upset, and she slowly nodded. "Yeah, well, Felix is hurting a lot worse than I am right now. You may want to talk to him about it."

"S-So that's it?" You piped up. Molly rose an eyebrow at you. You continued. "After all of that, you're just going to leave?"

"Yeah. After that, I figured you don't owe me anything." Molly replied. "I've gotten almost everything I wanted in Crawford, and... I guess I never did like the water."

"Where will you go?" Ryan asked.

Molly shrugged. "I dunno." She laughed. "I'll figure it out when I get there."

"What would you like us to tell the others?" You chimed in again.

"Tell them whatever you want." Molly replied. "I'm not real big on goodbyes." She then paused, and lightly smiled. "Tell Clementine... everything is going to be okay. You've got a good one, there...

_She reminds me of me."_


	28. Chapter 28

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight**_

_**A Tragedy That's Built On Destiny**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

The last time I had checked, [Your Name] had fallen asleep on the couch, beside Felix. It was a rest well-deserved, and so I let them be. Though I was very tired myself, I knew I had to check on someone else, first.

I stepped into a nice little room that looked very much like a study. There was a desk, bookshelves, a couch, and a big window with a cushioned-seat built into it. Upon that, Clementine sat there, looking out the window, watching the world that didn't seem to turn. She looked at peace... but not exactly happy, like she usually was. As I stepped into the room, I shut the door behind me, and made my way to her side.

"Hey, sweet-pea." I mumbled.

Clementine looked over her shoulder at me for a moment, and after her brain registered who I was, she looked back to out the window. On the other side, I could barely see Kenny moving in and out of the shed as he got the boat prepared.

"Kenny's working on the boat." She informed me. I slowly nodded in understanding.

"I know." I told her.

She turned around on the seat to face me. I slowly approached her and got onto my knees. Clementine looked me up and down.

"What are we going to do? After he fixes it?" Clementine asked me. "Where will we go?"

I cracked a light smile. "I dunno, Clem." I told her. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

I blinked as I realized Clem looked a little sadder than she should have been. She usually had SOME sort of trace of happiness, but... it was gone, now. I felt a little worried. "Clem, honey, what's wrong?" I asked her.

Clementine sighed nervously. "Is Ben going to be okay?" She asked. "He doesn't seem the same since he got back. And what about Felix? He was crying earlier..."

I thought for a moment. "Both of them have been through a lot, Clem." I decided. "They'll be okay... I know they will. They've still got hope."

"When we leave tomorrow, will we have time to look for my parents?" Clementine asked.

I felt another pang in my heart. Sorrow. This was going to suck ass.

"I'd like to, Clem... but I don't think we'll have time." I told her. "We really shouldn't stay here any longer. It's... it's not safe."

Clementine looked devastated. Her eyes welled with sadness, and tears immediately began to fall. She looked away and shut her eyes, her shoulders beginning to shake as she cried. I felt absolute sorrow fill my chest. I reached out for her, but she rejected my offer for a hug, and instead turned away from me, faced the window, and lay down against the cushion.

_Fuck..._ I thought to myself. I stood up and slowly turned away from her, and made it over to a table beside the couch. I undid the Walkie-Talkie from my belt and set it there. I owed her that much. She could have those talks with her parents... since I took seeing them away from her. I then moved to the couch and sat down, and watched her while she began to cry herself to sleep.

OoOoOoO

I hadn't noticed I'd fallen asleep. It was an accident. I meant to stay awake, to keep an eye on Clementine. But I hadn't slept the night before, so my exhaustion had taken me over. When I woke next, the sun was getting ready to set again. I let my eyes flutter open, and I looked around, and noticed that Clementine wasn't in the room. My eyes widened. I called out to her, but she was gone. I blinked and looked over to the table, and saw that the Walkie-Talkie was gone. My eyes widened further.

"She took the Walkie-Talkie and left..." I mumbled. "Oh, no, no..."

I left the study and searched the whole top level of the house, and discovered she wasn't there. Worry continued to grow inside me. I raced downstairs, determined to find her, perhaps ask anyone if they'd seen her. But as I got there, I noticed... no one was there. No one was in the kitchen, or the living-room, or the hallways. Dread continued to rise inside me. Even [Your Name] was gone.

I went to the back-door of the house and ventured out into the backyard. I called Clementine's name, but there was no answer. I let my eyes scan the yard, and... my eyes fell upon a purple and white hat on the ground.

"Oh, NO!" I gasped. I ran over to the hat and picked it up, and studied it carefully. Clem's hat, definitely. There wasn't a single other hat like it. There was a little dirt on it, but thank God, there was no blood. As I stared at the hat, a sudden noise caught my attention.

The buzz of a Walkie-Talkie. I got closer to the fence and looked out, to see Clem's sticker-covered Walkie-Talkie sitting by a couple pieces of cardboard, and a trashcan. I hoisted myself up the fence, and then over, silently dropping onto the ground. I slowly began to walk over to it, eyeing it curiously. Where was Clementine?!

As I climbed over the fence and hoisted myself onto the other side, dropping down silently onto the white concrete below, I let my eyes scan over the area. The Walkie-Talkie radio was abandoned beside a pile of trash, buzzing and beeping, but no voices coming through. I watched it worridely, a million worst-case scenarios of Clem going through my mind as I quickly approached.

I reached down to grab it...

There was a groan from the trash. I thought I had misheard... hoped to God I misheard... but I didn't. A walker popped up out bundle of trash, once safely hidden away under a large piece of used cardboard, and sprung at me.

I screamed, watching as the walker clasped it's hands onto my wrist and dug it's fingers through my skin. As I tried to pull away, it only followed me, and I watched with absolute horror as it dug it's teeth into my arm.

"No!" I screamed. "NO! NOO! FUCK!"

I rose the hand that heald the Walkie-Talkie and bashed the walker on the head with the bottom end, stricking it once, twice, and then a third time before I managed to damage it's brain. It's fingers untangled themselves from my wrist, teeth popping out of my arm before the whole body of the walker tumbled lifelessly - for a second time - to the ground.

I panted heavily, adrenaline rushing through me as I stared down at my shaky arm. The bite was new, and fresh, and red, and my whole body broke into goose-bumps as I imagined the deadly virus working it's way into my system. My lips quivered.

"Cry?"

The soft, concerned voice sounded from behind me, only a little ways away. I spun around, jumping with shock, and watched as most of the group approached. [Your Name] was in the front, her eyes running up and down my body as she tried to figure out why I looked so upset. She noticed Clementine's hat in my hand, and her eyes widened a little.

Kenny followed after [Your Name], eyes on me. "Are you crazy?" He asked. "What are you doing out here?! It ain't safe!"

"Cry?" Felix asked. "Where's Clementine? She's not in her room. Vernon's not in the house, either."

"What the hell is going on?!" Kenny asked, when he saw my expression.

[Your Name] continued to stare with concern, and noticed the blood that had gotten onto Clementine's hat only a few seconds before. "Hey... who's blood is that?" She asked.

"It's..." I mumbled. I finally rolled up my sleeve again and showed the bite. "It's mine."

The group looked confused a moment as they stared at the bite... and then, their eyes went wide. [Your Name]'s hands began to shake. She looked at the bite, and then my face, and then the bite... over and over. She shook her head and whispered "No...", but I nodded, confirming the situation. Her whole body began to shake. Her expression changed to sorrow and dread. She nearly screamed as she walked forward and wrapped her arms around me.

"No!" She sobbed out. "No! Ryan, you can't be bit! Fuuuuck!"

"[Your Name]..." I whispered.

"NO!" She screamed. "No, Ryan! I can't let you die! Fuck! What am I going to do without you?! Oh, God fucking damn it..."

Kenny asked, raising an eyebrow, and looked to the bite. "No way... no... no fucking way..."

"Oh my God..." Christa whispered. "Fuck..."

I ran my hand up and down [Your Name]'s back as she sobbed into my chest. I slowly pulled away and grabbed her shoulders. She wouldn't look up at me, so I forced her to, grabbing her face and gently lifting her head to see my eyes. I gave her a serious look.

"There's no time to worry about me." I told her. "Clementine's gone, princess."

"There's no chance she just wandered off on her own?" Omid's voice came from the back of the group. I hadn't noticed he was up and moving. ...That was good...

"No." I told him. "No way."

"F-Fuck..." [Your Name] sobbed. "Clementine's gone, and I'm loosing you too? No... No, I can't do this..."

"Then who the hell took her?" Kenny ignored [Your Name]'s sobs as he stepped closer to me.

"I don't know." I told my redneck friend. "Last night, Vernon came to [Your Name] and I and offered to take her with him. ...Said she'd be better off."

"Son of a bitch!" Kenny frowned, growling. "I knew we couldn't trust that fucker!"

"Wherever she is, I have to find her." I looked down to [Your Name]. "We have to find her, [Your Name]."

[Your Name] slowly nodded, and I could tell she was trying to pull herself together. She kept gasping and giving little sobs, tears running down her face, but she tried her best to fix herself up. She backed away from me by a step and wiped her tears away, and gave a slow nod.

"I'm with you, babe." She told me. "All the way."

Christa gave me a sympathetic look. "Okay, Cr-...Ry-... erm... whatever you want us to call you... what do you need from us?"

"I... I don't know." I admitted. "I don't know what to do here. Hell, I don't even know if I can ask you guys for help."

"Cry, we're a team..." Felix's voice piped up. "That's how we've made it this far. We're not going to just abandon you, bro."

"Even now?" I asked the Swede, gesturing to my bitten wrist. [Your Name] continued to look upset.

Christa slowly nodded. "Especially now," She answered for Felix. "You've earned that much."

"Damn straight." Omid agreed.

"That's settled, then." Felix started up again. "We'll look for Clementine together."

"Hell, yeah!" Omid agreed again. "What are we waiting for?"

I wanted to give them a smile, but right now, I didn't have the heart to do it. I just took in a slow breath as I looked down at the bite-mark on my wrist, and then back up to them. "Thank you, guys." I mumbled. "I appreciate it. Really."

"Cry, man..." The next words came from Kenny. I looked over to him and watched as he took a step closer. "You know I care about Clementine. And I am a Christian man. But I keep asking myself... If this was me, asking you for help, asking you to put your life on the line... would you be there for me? Because... there have been plenty of times where you ain't been-"

"Oh, fuck you, Kenny!"

My eyes widened as I looked to [Your Name]. I watched as she left my side and walked up to Kenny, glaring as she jabbed a finger into his chest.

"You are one thick fuck, you know that?!" She demanded. "Cry has been putting his life on the line for you since the day we've MET. He stood up for Duck in the drug-store. He took care of Larry in the meat-locker. He helped you with saving Duck from the saint John's. He fed your kid, when there was hardly any food left for any of us. He made sure Katjaa was always taken care of and mentally stable when times were rough. He fucking helped you kill off your own son, when YOU didn't have the guts to do it!"

She put her hands on Kenny's chest and gave him a little shove. "What have you done for us?! Gave us a trip to Macon after _you_ let Hershel's kid die? Punched Larry in the face at the drug-store?! How about attacking me in the train when you didn't want to worry about your son's walker bite?! All you ever do is get pissed off!

"You don't help anyone else, you always worried about yourself or your family. You never cared about anyone else in the group." She leaned into Kenny's face. Kenny's eyes were wide. "So you know what, you stupid prick? Go ahead and let us find Clementine ourselves. Because in this moment, Cry can do ten times better at anything that you could ever do at any time, _even_ when he's dying! So piss off!"

[Your Name] didn't move. She just continued to glare up at Kenny as she crossed her arms, waiting for a response. The redneck blinked and scratched the back of his head with his hand as he watched her. His mouth kept opening, like he was going to speak, but always shut when he came up with nothing to say. Finally, _finally_, he gave a slow nod.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered. "I'm in."

I eyed [Your Name] with surprise, and to Kenny with concern, but then turned away from the two and looked to Ben. The rest of the group looked surprised, but they said nothing more about [Your Name]'s little outburst. I looked the light-haired teenager up and down.

"Ben?" I asked, trying to move the focus away from a raging princess. "What about you?"

"I... I don't know..." Ben mumbled. "Whatever you think is best."

[Your Name] glared at Ben, and I had to hold back from telling her to stop as she marched up to the teenager, who was also very much taller than her.

"Don't even get me fucking started, _Ben_..." [Your Name] sneered. "Clementine fucking stood up for you in the classroom. What have you done for her beside leave her in the street to be eaten by walkers?! You know, your decision got Chuck killed! And hell, you've killed Katjaa and Duck already, so why do you care if another innocent person dies-"

"Okay, okay!" Ben interrupted, looking fearful. "You're right, [Your Name]. I owe her, now. I want to do this for Clem, but..." He looked over to Kenny. "I want to do this for Kenny, too. I've got to make it right with him. …Somehow... I've got to make this right."

"Okay." I nodded. "We should go find Vernon, now. See if he took her. We should head out as soon as we can."

"No, not when we can." [Your Name] looked up to me with a frown. "Now. We leave RIGHT NOW."

Kenny scoffed. "What, are we just going to leave the boat unguarded?" He asked.

Christa sighed at Kenny. "If someone was going to take it, they would have done so already." She told him. "Besides... what choice do we have?"

It was silent, then. No one had anything further to say. I looked down to [Your Name], and she looked up to me with a sad, yet determined look. Gently, I took her hand, and turned around. We began to walk down the sidewalk, and as we did, the rest of the group followed.

_Your P.O.V._

You'd led the group to where you knew Vernon and his group was staying. Through the sewers, and past the sign that had been blocking the hole. As you went through, and stepped into the fallout shelter that led to the basement of the hospital, you'd noticed that the shelves, which had once held food, had been cleared, and now remained empty. This confused you a bit, but you decided not to think too much on it, and instead, looked to the rest of the group.

Everyone had gotten inside. Ben, Kenny, Christa, Omid, Felix, and Ryan. You'd noticed how your group shrunk in number... but you also didn't want to think about that right now. Instead, you turned, and pulled your hand-gun from your belt. Making sure it was loaded and ready to fire, you put your hand on the handle of the door, and twisted it. You quickly pushed the door open and pointed your gun inside as you walked into the basement.

Your eyes widened.

Empty. The lights were off, the tables were cleared of any supplies, and the people were gone. The place was empty. Cold, dark, and empty. The only lights remaining was the sun's light, which was shining through the windows at the top of the room, by the ceiling. Your eyes flicked this way and that as you looked around, but you found nothing. Everyone... and everything... was gone.

"No..." You heard Ryan whisper. "Oh, God, No..."

"Where..." You looked around, and lowered your gun. "Where the hell are they?"

Your group began to walk into the room, looking around for anything that could have been left behind. Christa and Omid went to inspect the beds that had been part of the morgue. Felix walked to the front of the room to examine the white-board, which had been wiped clean, leaving only the marker behind. Kenny took his place beside you and Ryan.

"Looks like they got out in a hurry," The redneck commented. You watched as Ben trotted beside you three, and after receiving a nasty glare from Kenny, ventured off into a different part of the room.

You frowned, and cleared your throat. "Vernon, get out here!" You demanded, your voice echoing off the walls of the room. "There doesn't have to be any trouble here. All we want is the girl! Give her back, and nobody has to get hurt!"

There was no reply. You felt your stomach knot up with worry. Your eyes flicked to your boyfriend, and you watched as the dark-blue-eyed, brown-haired young man walked across the room and to one of the counters, where he leaned his elbows against it, sighed, and put his head in his hands. You gave a concerned look and made your way over to him. You rested your hand against his back, and whispered your question softly.

"You feeling alright?"

He didn't have time to answer you, before a different, faint noise suddenly grabbed the group's attention. It was the sound of... voices. But not alive voices. Dead voices. The dead were walking. You looked up toward the tiny windows high up on the walls, and watched as several walker feet stumbled by. Their groans got louder and louder... and there were so God-damned many...

You then looked to the door you'd come through, and began to hear walker groans echoing from the sewer. Your eyes slowly widened. You weren't sure what to do. What could you-

_"Cry?"_

Now, your eyes widened further. The voice came from the Walkie-Talkie. _Clementine's_ voice. Ryan moved into a standing position and quickly grabbed the Walkie-Talkie from his belt.

"C-Clementine?!" He spoke into the Walkie-Talkie. "Are you okay? Where are you?!" He paused, and waited for an answer. No answer came. He frowned, and pressed the button again. "Vernon, you son of a bitch!"

_"Hello, Ryan."_

You gasped at the new, unfamiliar voice that somehow knew of Cry's true name. The rest of the group stared at the Walkie-Talkie with curiosity and concern. The voice on the other line... the _male_ voice... did not sound very safe.

"Who is this?" Ryan asked.

_"It's not Vernon, if that's what you're thinkin'." _The voice replied. _"And you should __**really**__ watch your tone. Clementine's fine. But if I were you, I'd choose my next words __**very**__ carefully."_

Ryan looked to you, and you met his blue gaze with your [eye color] orbs. You both shared the same look of fear and worry. You put a hand on his shoulder... and noticed that you were shaking. Ryan slowly looked back to the Walkie-Talkie, obvious fear growing inside of him.

_**"What do you want?"**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine**_

_**The Risks We Take**_

_Your P.O.V._

"What do you want from me? Whatever it is, I'll do it, and you can let her go."

You stared at the Walkie-Talkie as Ryan spoke into it, his words slow, and careful. The whole room was silent except for the conversation going on between him, and the mysterious male voice on the other line. Your head and chest was filled with worry and dread. A stranger... a _man_, had Clementine, and he had the power to do anything he wanted to her. All you could do was hope and pray that he wouldn't do anything drastic.

_"I want you to never hurt anybody again,"_ The voice spoke, after a moment of silence. _"This isn't a kidnapping, Ryan."_

Ryan's brown brows lightly knitted together to form a confused and irritated frown. His eyes darkened with anger and worry. His voice was low, and soft. "Then what is it?" He asked.

There was several more moments of silence. _"A rescue."_ The man finally replied.

The line went dead.

Ryan slowly lowered the Walkie-Talkie away from his lips, and stared at it a moment, before lifting his blue gaze to meet your [eye color] one. You sent him a look of concern and fear. You'd subconsciously shoved your hands into the pockets of your jacket during the conversation, and had been biting your lip with habit.

The rest of the group stood where they had led themselves before the Talkie had started up, but they stared with wide eyes as they tried to comprehend what just happened. Outside, however many walkers that were out there continued to grumble and groan, their voices rising above the whole dead city.

Ryan finally put the Walkie-Talkie back onto his belt, and looked away. "He better not fucking hurt her." He said softly. "I swear..."

"Don't worry, bro." Felix's voice came from where he stood at the white-board. He gave a reassuring smile, though it looked a little forced. "We'll get her back."

"Felix is right, Cry." Kenny chimed in, taking a few steps closer to the center of the room. "Ain't nothin' gonna stop us from getting that little girl back."

You looked to Kenny and Felix, and then down to Ryan's wrist, as curiosity had you doing. You looked over the bite with concern. You almost reached out to touch it, but then thought otherwise, realizing it could cause a bit of pain if you did. Instead, you reached up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"How's the bite feeling?" You asked gently. He didn't look to you right away. He just thought for a moment... staring at the ground. He took in a deep, slow breath.

"Not too good..." He finally replied. "My hand is hot, and... thumping a little bit."

"You seem okay..." Kenny wearily looked Ryan up and down. "For now."

Omid gave a small smile. "Yeah, Cry. Totally."

"But..." Christa began to point out. "We don't have much time left."

You opened your mouth to announce a statement in agreement, but your sentence was cut short when the sudden sound of close growls brought your attention. Everyone looked to the door they'd come from, and saw walkers beginning to climb through the hole. Kenny grunted with an emotion you didn't understand, but you didn't question him as he ran up to the door, shut it, and braced himself against it.

"Well, we're about to have a lot _less_ time." The redneck mumbled. He looked over his shoulder, to you and Ryan. "We'll all make sure nothing gets in. Ryan and [Your Name] are still the smartest fuckers out of all of us. I want you two to find us another way out of here."

Ryan slowly nodded. "Yes, sir."

OoOoOoO

He passed out.

He literally collapsed onto the ground.

The two of you were so close to finding a way out, and then you'd watched as he groaned and fell to the ground, his eyes shutting as he fell under the waves of unconsciousness. It'd scared you. You screamed, though you knew you shouldn't have, and tried your hardest to wake him up. He hadn't, and the whole group had made it to your side. You'd hoisted Ryan onto a counter, and began debating over what to do.

Then, Christa had come up with the _brilliant_ idea to remove Ryan's arm, in hopes that the virus would slow down, before it completely took Ryan over. You didn't like this idea, but when you'd tried to come up with a reason not to do it, you found yourself empty. You finally decided to let it happen. Felix had put his arms around you for support, and you watched as Kenny grabbed a hack-saw from a different part of the room.

"Okay..." Kenny mumbled. "This has to be done."

He'd walked over to Ryan and grabbed the bitten arm, and placed the saw just above his elbow. You watched as Kenny was getting ready to saw in.

"Sorry, pal..." He mumbled. "I gotta do it."

You closed your eyes and turned away, not wanting to see it happen. It was terrible. Not a good idea. It wasn't-

"WHOA!"

Your eyes widened at Ryan's voice, and you perked your head, looking over to see him leaning up a little bit. He used his good arm to reach out for Kenny. His eyes were wide with fear.

"Wait!" Christa gasped. "He's awake!"

"He's still bitten!" Kenny argued.

"SO?!" You chimed in. "For God's sake, Kenny, take the saw away!"

Kenny sent you a look, before finally taking the saw away, and letting Ryan move into a sitting position. It took him a moment, but the brunette finally got onto his ass on the counter, and looked around. He looked a little pale... and tired. His eyes landed on you and Felix, and he gave you a look of confusion and concern.

"This is about trying to SAVE him!" Kenny continued to argue. "Or at least, buy him some time!"

Ben shook his head. "Do we have to cut it _off,_ though?!"

"Do we know it works?" Omid pointed out.

"We don't know anything." Kenny pointed out.

"Is there gonna be a lot of blood?" Ben asked nervously, crossing his arms across his chest.

Christa gave him a look that pretty much gave away that she thought the teenager was a dumbass. "There's going to be a _shitload_ of blood."

"What if he dies?" You chimed in.

"Then the rest of us go after Clementine," Felix mumbled. "And get the hell out of Savannah."

"Damn right." Kenny started. He turned to Ryan. "Let's do this. If it's a chance to stop you from turning, then we have to take it."

"Hey, guys, I'm right here, you don't have to talk to me like I'm not awake." Ryan told them. HE looked really freaked out now, and eyed the saw in Kenny's hand wearily. It was silent for a moment. Everyone looked to each other with concern.

"Sorry." Kenny mumbled.

"It's not really _our_ call anymore." Christa spoke up, crossing her arms.

Ryan scoffed. "Yeah, no shit." He replied.

"If we take off your arm..." Omid started, speaking slowly as he thought. "And you don't die from pain or blood loss, then... maybe you won't die from the bite?"

Ryan gave a worried groan, and gently slipped off of the counter, and onto his shaky feet. You eyed him worriedly, but you didn't leave your spot from beside Felix. Beside him, Kenny looked the man up and down.

"What do you think?" He asked.

Ryan took a moment as he looked down at his left arm, to where the bite was. You could see it throbbing from where you stood... and it made you want to shudder. You couldn't imagine what Ryan was going through right now. And... if he died because of the bite... you couldn't imagine what _you'd_ be going through in the future. You loved him. It was official. You loved Ryan. Cryaotic. You loved him with every beat of your fucking heart. So if he died...

"Fuck it." Ryan mumbled. "Fucking do it. Cut it off."

Christa blinked, eyes wide. "Seriously?" She asked him.

"Yeah..." Ryan mumbled. "It's my left arm. I'm right-handed. It'll be okay. Plus, it's our only option, and I'm gonna fucking die if we don't do this."

Slowly, Ryan leaned against the counter again, and placed his left arm upon it. Christa and Kenny slowly approached. Ryan looked to you with a helpless look. As much as you wanted to look away, you knew Ryan needed you. You gave Felix a thankful nod before leaving his side, and trotting up to Ryan. You reached forward and rested your hand on his right shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

"I'm here for you, Ryan..." You whispered.

Ryan softly hummed, and rested his head against yours. "Thanks, princess." He mumbled. He then looked to Kenny and Christa. "Don't cut too high, alright?" He asked softly. "Please?"

Kenny and Christa didn't reply. Instead, they looked down to the saw. You all waited for Kenny to pick it up, but when he didn't, you grew confused. Slowly, he swallowed, and looked to Christa.

"It was easier when I thought he was out." Kenny admitted.

Christa frowned, and rolled her eyes, grabbing the saw. "Jesus..." She muttered. "FINE." After grabbing the saw, she walked over to Ryan. The brunette had taken off his sweater, so it wasn't in the way, and handed it to you. You'd taken it and wrapped it around your waist for the meantime. You then watched as Christa rested the saw upon Ryan's fore-arm, just _below_ the elbow. She looked up to him with a sympathetic stare.

"I'll go as fast as I can." She promised. She received a slow nod from Ryan, who took in a deep, nervous breath. "Do it." He ordered. "You got this. You th- AUGHHHHHGHHHHH!"

You jumped as he screamed when Christa dug the saw into his arm without warning. You then held onto him again, trying to keep him from squirming too much. He thrashed in your hold, continuing to scream and pant from pain. Felix came up to your side and dove down to hold Ryan still as well.

"Ryan!" You gasped. "It's okay! It's fine! She's almost done!"

"OHH MY GODDDDDDD!" Ryan screamed, shutting his eyes as blood spewed from his arm. He cried out, tears running down his face. You grabbed his right hand, and he squeezed yours tightly as he screamed.

"I KNOW!" Christa yelled to him. She hesitated, and then sawed again. Ryan screamed, and then your eyes went wide when he suddenly stopped, and you felt him go limp in your hold. You grunted, worry growing inside you again as you struggled to hold him up. Christa had stopped, but you snapped for her to continue.

So she did, sawing over and over and over again, until finally, his arm was off. Ryan's weight leaned into you, and you nearly fell to the ground. You began to trip, but Felix came behind you and caught you before you fell. Kenny and Christa grabbed Ryan's body and put him back onto the counter. You watched them with wide eyes, watching as they grabbed some medical tape that Ben had found and began to patch the big wound up. Blood was everywhere.

OoOoOoOoO

You'd spent the next hour worrying. Ryan had passed out, and had yet to wake up. His wound had been patched up, but he still wouldn't wake. His chest continued to heave out and in in heavy breaths, but you were concerned that they'd stopped soon. After Ryan had passed out, and they fixed him up, Felix had pointed out the blood that had gotten all over the front of your green jacket.

You felt a pang of guilt for getting the liquid on your boyfriend's jacket, but there was nothing you could do. You wiped it up the best you could with a small amount of napkins you found, but you knew the jacket was stained for good.

After a while, Ryan had finally woken again. He's groaned and rolled onto his side, before sitting up. He'd looked to his arm with a look of horror, and then got to his feet. You'd raced to his side to help him up. He'd noticed the blood on your jacket and became apologetic, but you told him not to fret over it. Now, Kenny and Christa were walking over, looking somewhat relieved.

"Holy shit." Kenny started. "We thought we'd lost you, Cry. You'd been out a while, man."

"It... hurts... so... so bad..." Ryan tried to speak, though his voice was very soft. His face was growing even paler by the second. "But... maybe now I've got more time...?"

"Do you think you'll be able to travel?" Christa asked, her eyes wide. "You lost some blood."

"A lot of it..." You threw in.

Sudden banging sounded on the door that your group had came from. Everyone looked over to the door, and realized that walkers were on the other side, trying to get in. ...You growled. They would never give you a break, would they?

"Yeah..." Ryan finally answered.

"Good!" Kenny replied. "The elevator's open. Let's go!"

Your group took off to the Elevator doors that you and Ryan had opened about an hour and a half ago. You had Ryan lean against you for support as you made your way toward the doors. Felix stayed close to you two, too, just in case you needed any help supporting your boyfriend.

Your group walked through the elevator doors... to find that the elevator wasn't there. You realized that the elevator was up, and could fall down at any moment. This made you feel sick. You didn't want to be smashed today. Your eyes flicked to the latter, and you watched as your group approached it.

"We'll have to be as quiet as possible," Christa suggested. "And see if we can make it to an empty floor... or even a roof." She then looked to Ryan. "Do you think that's possible for you, Cry?"

"Yeah..." Ryan replied without hesitation. "That'll be fine. I'll be the last one to climb, so uh... I don't bleed on anybody." He then looked to the latter, and then to you. "You first, princess."

You nodded, and began to climb the latter that lead to the roof. Kenny followed after you, and then Ben, Omid, Christa, Felix, and finally Ryan. You didn't like to be too far from him, especially under the circumstances, but you didn't want to argue at this point. He was making the decisions... and that was good. He was practically the leader of the group.

As you continued to climb the latter, you listened to the sounds of walkers on the outside. It sent chills down your spine. You began to remember the first day you met Ryan. How you both escaped from your first walker together. And how you met Clementine. And how you helped Shawn and his friend Frank with their car, and made it to Hershel's house.

You began remembering everything you'd been through with Ryan... and sorrow began to well up inside you. If he died, you and Clementine would be the only ones left to share those memories. And if that mysterious man killed Clementine, or took her away forever, you'd feel alone... alone and robbed of your family.

Suddenly, a growl came from above you. You looked up, eyes growing wide, a gasp escaping your lips, as a walker began to fall down the latter. You pushed yourself against the latter and shut your eyes, holding on tightly.

"Look out!" You called down.

There was a series of gasps from the rest of the group, and a loud curse from Ryan. Omid shushed him, and told him to stay quiet. You swallowed as you looked back down. When you were sure everyone was okay, Kenny nodded to you, and you continued on with the climbing.

"Oh man..." Ben whispered nervously. "Oh geeze..."

"Shut the fuck up, Ben!" Kenny snapped.

"Is everything okay up there?" Ryan's voice called.

Ben swallowed. "I think I just peed myself!"

There was a pause. And then a sigh. "So yes, then." Ryan mumbled.

As you continued climbing, you eventually stumbled upon a large window, that showed one of the floors of the hospital. You watched as several walkers walked this way and that, trying to find a source of food. You felt another set of chills run down your back. You tried to stay out of their view and continued climbing, willing yourself to stay quiet.

_Cry's P.O.V._

We eventually made it up onto the roof of the hospital. As we walked through the door and onto the roof, the first thing I noticed was the view of the city, which would have been cool or beautiful, if the city wasn't completely swarmed with walkers. The sun was high in the sky, having yet to set behind the towers again. The gentle day's breeze felt nice against my chopped arm. I could feel it through the medical tape. As the rest of the group made it onto the roof, I looked down at my arm, and groaned when I realized that I only had five fingers left.

I turned around and looked up, and on the small building atop the hospital, the words _NO HELP _were written upon the wall in white paint. I felt my stomach churn with an uncomfortable feeling. This wasn't good. I turned around and looked to the rest of the group. My eyes finally landed on [Your Name]. She was crouched at the edge of the building, looking over. Her facial expression was sad. I curiously trotted over to her, and looked around. Trying to see what she was seeing. All I noticed at first was the street full of walkers, but as I looked closer, I finally saw what she'd seen.

Roses.

"Just stop to smell the roses..." [Your Name]'s voice was soft. She hesitated. I looked to her, and watched as a tear slipped down her cheek. "B-Because even in the worst... in the worst of..." Her voice cracked, and she couldn't finish. I sighed and reached my right arm out to her. She turned and buried her face into my shoulder. I gave her a half-hug (since that was all I could offer now, hugs wise) and gently rubbed her back.

"Remember when Savannah was empty?" Kenny's voice came from a different part of the roof. [Your Name] and I stood and looked over to him, watching as he looked out to the city. Beside him, Christa sighed.

"Those Crawford bastards did one thing right, I guess."

"There must be thousands of them..." Kenny whispered. "Hear them all? See 'em? The fuckers..."

"Did they follow us here?" Ben piped up. "From the railroad?"

Felix cleared his throat as he joined the rest of the group. "It seems like it."

"That's crazy." Christa chimed. "They can't track... they just... roam."

"Is it?" Kenny asked. "That fuckin' train wasn't exactly discrete."

"Well," Omid mumbled. "What do we do now?"  
I looked around, and looked back to the streets, where the walkers were roaming. I bit my lip with nervousness.

"Clementine is out there." I added. "Gobbled up in all of that."

Christa sent me a sympathetic look. "We'll get to her, Cry." She told me. "We have to."

"Look..." Kenny sighed. "Let's gather our bearings, and see if we can find a way to make it across town. Good?" He waited. No one replied. He nodded. "Good."

_Your P.O.V._

Really, you weren't the one who should be resting, but Ryan had told you to sit down while he looked for a way off of the roof. You told him it should be the opposite, and that he should rest while _you _searched, but he told you it'd be better for him if he was up and moving. He also pointed out that you looked exhausted. Finally, you'd given in, and sat down against a wall and rested.

You watched everyone while they worked. Felix and Ryan stuck together as they tried to find a way off of the roof. You couldn't help but smile at how they acted toward each other. Like best friends... like on their videos. You missed YouTube... and you missed watching the Pewdiepie and Cry Lets-Play videos. But that was in the past. You had to focus on the present, and the future.

You began to think about Clementine. In situations like these, you were usually holding her close, and telling her things were going to be okay. But she wasn't here. She was gone. When you'd seen the roses, you immediately thought of her, and you began to grow sad. If she were here, you would have pointed them out, and told her that everything was going to be okay. But she was gone. Clementine... someone you considered a daughter, was gone. She was taken from you, or... _rescued_ as that mysterious man put it.

That got you thinking. Rescued from what? The man had told Ryan that he wanted to prevent him from hurting anyone ever again. Who had Ryan hurt? No one. Ryan hadn't hurt anyone. ...Had he? No. No, he hadn't. You couldn't remember a time he hurt someone besides the Saint Johns, and then, he'd only done that to protect his group. To protect you. And Clementine. ...And Duck and Katjaa...

Thinking about them made you think of Kenny, but then made you immediately think of Felix. You knew that Marzia was the Swedish man's girlfriend of several years. They could have gotten engaged. Married. Kids. Way before the world went to shit. You knew Felix loved Marzia so much, and loosing her must have felt awful.

But when you looked at Felix... you didn't see a sad man who had just lost the love of his life. Sure, he looked upset, but now, he looked more determined to save Clementine. You felt like he got over Marzia's death too quickly. Except... maybe he didn't get over Marzia's death. Maybe he's bottling up his emotions to save for later, when things weren't so crazy.

Your eyes widened as you realized Ryan had walked over to the wall beside you, and picked up a giant fucking latter with his one hand. Felix and Kenny watched with amazement, and as Kenny spoke up, it drew Omid, Christa, and Ben's attention.

"Whoa, you need some help with that?"

Ryan shook his head, sending you a look before looking toward the bell-tower. "I got it." The young man replied. "It's all good. I may be handi-capped, but I'm not impaired of lifting latters."

You stood up from where you sat and followed after Ryan, watching as he placed the latter at the edge of the roof, extended it, and pushed the other end onto the ledge of the close-by bell-tower. When that was completed, Ryan turned to the group, in which everyone had gathered around.

"Alright." He started. "I'm going to go across this latter, and ring the bell. When I do, walkers will start coming. We'll bust our asses as he go down the fire-escape, and head back to the mansion."

Kenny raised an eyebrow. "That's a good idea, but..." He paused. "Are you sure you should to be the one to go?"

"My leg is feeling better," Omid chimed in. "Let _me_ do it."

"I'll do it!" Ben suggested.

Kenny's face lit up, and he grinned. "Yeah, Ben will do it!"

"You're just hoping he'll fall." You piped up, glaring in Kenny's direction. You looked back to Ryan. "Cry, you only have one arm." You told him. "It's going to be impossible for you to do this."

"Impossible?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, [Your Name]. I can totally do it."

You took a step toward him. "You told me to rest, right? Well, I'm rested now, and I don't want to feel useless. So whether you like it or not, _I'm_ gonna be the one ringing that bell. Ryan opened his mouth to speak. You narrowed your eyes. "Princess' orders." You told him.

Ryan blinked. Then blinked again. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but he had no further argument. So instead, reluctanlty, he told you to be careful, and went to stand next to Felix. You gave the group a small nod, before turning, and putting your hands on the latter.

"Why are we letting a woman do the dangerous stuff...?" Felix mumbled.

You frowned. "Because the woman insists. Now shut up about it."

"Be careful," Kenny called. "That thing looks a little rickety."

You tensed, and looked down, chills going up your spine as you noticed how far away the ground was. You shuddered. "Maybe keep that shit to yourself, next time?" You asked. You then turned back to the latter, and carefully, you began to climb. At first, you thought it'd be easy.

The latter wasn't moving very much, and you considered it to be sturdy. However, about half way up, a screw suddenly fell from the latter, and the whole thing began to slide down. You yelped and climbed quicker, and as the latter gave out from under you, you jumped and grabbed the edge of the bell-tower. Then, you pulled yourself up and over onto the safe side, and looked over the edge. The latter had hit the ground and crushed a walker.

"HOLY SHIT, MAN!" Omid gasped, laughing.

"Are you okay?!" Christa called.

You looked up to your group. Everyone looked relieved and amazed... except for Ryan, who looked like he was just getting over a heart-attack. Felix was patting his shoulder. Ryan lifted his gaze to meet yours, and a small, relieved smile spread across his lips. You smiled back.

"Yeah," You panted, calling back. "I'm fine!"

"Can you try to find another way out of there?" Omid called to you.

You blinked, and then turned around, looking to your surrounding. You were on a plat-form, with a hatch that led to the inside of the bell-tower. You could go through there after you ring the bell, and escape that way. You trotted over to it and leaned over, slipping your hands on the handle and trying to pull it up. ...You discovered it was locked. ...Shit.

"The exit in here's locked!" You called back to your group. No reply. You knew they were trying to think of something else. You stood straight and looked over to the bell, and then to the rope. You frowned, and walked over. You ran your fingers along the rope, and... then, without hesitation, grabbed it and yanked on it three times. A loud ding started in the bell, piercing your ears. Below, walkers began to move toward the bell-tower. You moved away from the rope and walked over to the edge again. Everyone was looking down at the on-coming walkers, and up at you. You studied the situation for a moment, before looking to your group.

"I think I have to jump!" You called to them.

Ryan's eyes widened, and he looked like he was going to have another heart attack. Felix whispered reassuring words to him as the rest looked up to you in surprise. Kenny slowly nodded.

"You can make it!" He told you. "It ain't far!"

You slowly nodded, then looked around again. You blinked. Then blinked again.

"I'm so fucked."

_Cry's P.O.V._

I watched with wide eyes as she backed away from the edge... then ran forward, and jumped. She launched herself off of the edge and flew forward. Without thinking, I ran forward, and in just enough time, I leaned over and grabbed her wrist before she could fall to her death. She looked up to me with wide and slightly fearful eyes, but also looked grateful. I smiled at her, before pulling her up with the one arm. When she was over the edge, I pulled her into a tight hug.

"I got you..." He whispered. "You're okay..."

"Thanks, Ryan..." [Your Name] whispered back.

"Good god-damned leap, Princess." Kenny called her by the nick-name I'd given her as he trotted over. I stood, and pulled [Your Name] with me. She smiled at Kenny and lightly chuckled.

"Cry did a good save." She replied. "I would have been walker-food if he didn't catch me."

Kenny nodded, but his smile faded, and he looked to the others. "Alright!" He called. "Let's get the hell off this roof!"

OoOoOoO

Our group walked back to the mansion. It was a longer walk than I'd expected, but we did it. We were now walking along the fence of the back-yard of the house we'd taken over a couple days before. We were on the outside, upon the sidewalk. [Your Name] and I were hand-in-hand, with the rest of the group behind us.

Ahead of us, a walker came stumbling over, and without hesitation, [Your Name] pulled out her gun and shot it right in the face. I watched with amazement and slight amusement at her lack-of-fucks to be given. She put her gun back in her belt, and continued walking. When we were close enough, we turned the corner.

The plan was to open the shed on the outside of the fence, so we could get the boat ready for after we got Clementine. However, when we turned the corner...

"Holy _shit_..."

The doors to the shed were opened, and... the shed was empty. The boat was gone. _Gone_. I let go of [Your Name]'s hand as I stared at the emptiness with wide eyes. The boat was gone. Taken. The boat was fucking _taken_...

"What the fuck?!" Kenny growled, putting his hands behind his head. "C-Come on! Just come the fuck on!"

I watched as Omid began to walk into the shed, leaving the group's side. Kenny looked furious... as if he was about to have his own heart-attack.

"Well, we're not coming back here, till we find Clem..." Christa started.

"WHO?!" Kenny demanded. "Fuck! How could this happen?!"

"C-Clementine..." [Your Name] suddenly whispered. I looked down to her, and noticed her expression. She looked devastated. "Clementine... she... gave them the boat?" She whispered, voice breaking. "...What...?"

Christa shook her head. "I don't think she would do that." She argued.

"Hey... guys..." Omid whispered.

Everyone looked up to see Omid. In his hand, he held a note. He was looking down at it, his eyes flicking back and fourth as he read it, over and over.

"No, Clementine's not with the boat." He confirmed. "Vernon and his crew took it."

My eyes widened. "What?!" I demanded. "Vernon?!"

"No fucking way!" Kenny snarled. He walked forward and snatched the note from Omid's hand, and began to read it. His hands were shaking. He snarled. "THE INVALIDS!" He spat.

"Their actions, uh..." Omid mumbled to Kenny. "Contradict your characterization, but... yeah." He shrugged. "'The Invalids'."

"Omid's right." Christa started. "They're not invalids. They're people. People who have been dealing with shitty situations longer than we have. No wonder they got the jump on us."

"I don't care if their make-a-wish situation was a fucking bullride!" Kenny snarled. "When I find them, I'm going to rip their fucking heads off!"

"We will _never_ find them." Christa mumbled.

Omid took the note from Kenny again. "He feels bad about it," The man said. "Vernon, I mean. He says he feels bad for leaving us... AND Clementine behind."

"They _fucked _us!" Kenny snarled.

The group gathered around and stood in silence for a moment, while they tried to figure out what to do. At one point, Christa had asked Omid to go over the fence and let the group into the back yard, because it was bad to stay out in the open. Omid was reluctant, but he went and did it.

"This is not happening..." Kenny whispered. "God, everything is so fucked..."

"Clementine is still out there," Christa pointed out to the group.

Kenny sighed. "So we get Clementine, and then what?!"

Christa frowned. "We get the fuck out of cities!" She snapped back. "I'm done with cities. We go into the country-side, and make a go of it."

Ben gave a small smile, and nodded. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea to me."

Kenny frowned again. "Nobody asked you, Ben."

Ben frowned back. "YOU just did!"

"Don't get fucking _smart_ with me, Ben..." Kenny sneered.

"Kenny, what won't help..." [Your Name] mumbled.

"Do you remember we had a _boat_?!" Kenny asked her. "A boat!"

I sighed. "Everyone, keep it together! Nothing has changed, has it?"

Kenny looked surprised. "_Nothing_ has changed?!" He asked me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I mean _immediately_, man! We stay the course. We don't _turn _on each other."

Ben nodded. "Yeah, chill out, Kenny!"

Kenny glared at the teenager, as if he was ready to kick his ass. The door on the other side of the shed suddenly opened, revealing Omid, finished with the task he was given. Christa looked around, before finally gesturing to the yard.

"We can do this in the yard." She told everyone.

Felix, [Your Name], Kenny, Ben, and Omid went through the shed, and into the yard. Kenny began to growl at Ben, but I toned his snaps out as I turned to Christa, who, beside me, was the only one who hadn't moved from her spot. She looked me up and down, and sighed.

"What do we do without a boat?" She asked me.

I thought for a moment, before slowly nodding. "I liked the country-side idea, honestly." I admitted. "We've dicked around in cities, coastlines, and boats too long." I then paused... and lowered my voice. "Take [Your Name], and Clementine, and keep them safe out there... okay?"

"Look, I agree with you." Christa mumbled. "I think out in the country-side is the safest place to be." She then frowned. "But you're not dead yet. So put a pin in that, okay?"

I blinked, a little taken aback as I watched her turn and walk through the shed, and into the yard. I hesitated a moment... before following after. Ben and Kenny's voices were tuning back in.

"CHILL?!" Kenny snapped. "Cry's bitten and God knows how long HE has left. Clementine is... who the fuck knows, and we're robbed of the only hope we've had!"

The two were only a little ways away from the shed, face-to-face. Omid and [Your Name] and Felix were by the bird-fountain. Christa and I joined them there where they stood, and watched shit go down between the two arguing men.

"So?!" Ben argued.

"_So,_" Kenny continued. "Cry should have left your ass in Crawford. We've got _enough_ problems."

Ben glared, and didn't stop himself from yelling. "FUCK YOU, KENNY!"

Kenny's eyes widened, and he stood still for a moment, his glare completely vanishing as he looked at Ben. Now that I'd seen them together, I realized that Ben was taller than Kenny by several inches, and if he wanted to, he could kick the grown-man's ass. Ben's hands were shaking with rage, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen.

"Whoa... Ben..." [Your Name]'s soft voice sounded from beside me. "Let's not-"

"No." Christa mumbled. I looked over, and watched as she put her hand on [Your Name]'s arm to stop her. She looked [Your Name] in the eyes. "Let him."

"I am so, so, _so_ sorry about Katjaa and Duck..." Ben's voice was normal again. As he brought up the family name's, Kenny began to frown. But Ben continued. "I _am_. And I know I fucked up, but _stop_ pushing me around, and _stop_ wishing I was dead!"

Kenny opened his mouth to argue, but Ben screamed again.

"NO!" He spat. "You know how they died. You said GOODBYE. I never got to see my family. My parents. My little sister." He stopped, and his voice began to crack. His eyes formed tears. "Do you get that?" He asked the redneck. "My family is gone, but at least you had them to loose. I never made it home. They could be alive, or dead, or WALKERS, OR WORSE, I DON'T KNOW. SO GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!"

My eyes were wide, and my jaw was parted in a gasp. I'd never seen Ben act like that before. In front of him, Kenny began to look guilty, and sympathetic. He lightly sighed.

"Oh, Ben..." He whispered. "I'm sor-"

The loud sound of groans cut Kenny off. We all looked to the fence, to see Walkers trying to get through. They'd come across the corner... a _lot_ of them. Fear ran through me, and I felt [Your Name] push closer to me.

"Oh, shit!" Christa gasped. "Here they come!"

I turned around, and watched as Omid ran for the door. He pulled it open, and turned to us. "In the house!" He ordered. "Now!"

We all took off after Omid, piling inside after he'd gone in. When everyone was in, I shut the door, and spun around. Everyone hung out in the kitchen for a moment as they tried to figure out what to do.

"They shouldn't be able to get into the back yard, right?!" Kenny asked. He spoke too soon. The sound of the gate opening was heard, and groans came from a closer point. He swallowed. "Maybe not..."

"We can secure this place!" Christa suggested.

I quickly walked forward. "Christa, get on the front room in the windows! Check the boards!"

"Got it!" Christa nodded. She ran off into the house. I turned to Kenny.

"Kenny, look for weapons!" I told him. "Gather anything you can find!"

"Will do!" Kenny agreed, and ran off into the house. I turned to Ben.

"Ben, move any furniture up against the doors and windows. We don't want any walkers getting into this place!"

"Got it!" Ben replied. He turned and ran off into the house.

I turned to Omid, and called his name, but I noticed his eyes were... very wide as he was staring at something with shock. I rose an eyebrow, and looked to where he was looking. My eyes widened. Across the room, past a set of opened double-doors, a couple walkers were roaming _inside_ the house.

"Oh, fuck!" I gasped. "[Your Name]! Felix! Help Omid!"

They nodded to me, and ran off after Omid. I tried to follow, but a sudden hand latched onto my leg, and I fell. I grunted as I hit the ground, and turned around. A walker had stuck it's hand through the doggie-door, and had grabbed my leg. I gasped, and kicked my leg against the dog door. Then again. And again. And again. Finally, the door came down onto the walker, and cut off it's hand as it shut. I looked at the limb with wide eyes, before hoisting myself to my feet. I turned around and ran further into the house.

"Cry, help!" Felix's voice called.

I looked to where they were. Felix, Omid, and [Your Name] were trying to block the door, but several hands were reaching through, trying to open the doors. The three of them were struggling to keep it closed.

"Cut their fucking arms off!" [Your Name] suggested.

"There should be a knife or something in the kitchen!" Omid hollered.

I spun around and ran back into the kitchen, and looked around. There were no knives on the counters. I gasped and began to look through cabinets and drawers. Finally, I found a knife in a drawer by the microwave. Giving a successful smile, I turned around and bolted back into the living-room. When Felix noticed I'd returned, he shouted, "Take their God-damned arms off!"

I did exactly that, hacking through each arm until they were all gone. The doors shut, and [Your Name] locked it. They turned back to us. Kenny, Christa, and Ben had run over while I was fighting off the arms, and now stood beside me, waiting for their next orders.

"Now, what?!" Felix asked.

I rose a finger to my lips and made a hushing noise. I looked around.

"We hide." I told them. "And then we find a way out."

"Cry's right, this place is secure." Christa mumbled. "We're patient, and then we get going."

Suddenly, a board on a window came undone, and a walker hand smashed through the window, followed by a loud growl. The same happened with another window, and the door (though it was locked...). Walkers began to pile in. I looked back to the group with wide eyes. [Your Name] gasped.

"This place isn't so secure anymore, Christa!" She shrieked.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me, and then looked around. "Fuck!" I exclaimed. "Everybody! Upstairs!"

"Go!" Kenny shouted. We all turned and began to bolt upstairs, but I realized the absence of a member brought my attention. Telling [Your Name] to follow Kenny, I spun around, and saw Felix standing by the door, looking at a walker. I didn't see what the deal was, until I noticed exactly who the walker looked like.

Marzia.

My heart sunk into my stomach. I called Felix's name, but he didn't answer. Instead, I watched with wide eyes as Felix pulled the mini-axe from his pocket, ran toward, and jammed the blade into his dead girlfriend's head. Marzia's walker-form went down immediately. Felix looked down at the poor woman for a second, before turning to me. Tears had been pricking at his eyes. I gave him a sympathetic look, and reached my hand out. Felix slowly nodded and accepted the offer, and together, we ran up the stairs.

_Your P.O.V._

Your group stood at the end of the hallway, guns loaded, and aimed toward the beginning of the hall. You were ready to take a stand. A small, long desk had blocked the entrance a little, so that when the walkers showed up, they'd have to trip over it if they were to pass it. Everyone was ready, and the walker's figures began to show.

"We can't let ourselves get trapped." Ryan mumbled to the group.

"Let's get as many as we can." Kenny agreed. "And when we see an opening, we go for it. ...How many bullets do ya'll have?"

Everyone stopped a moment to check their count. You checked yours, and confirmed to the rest of the group that you only had four shots left. The others counted off their small bullet numbers, and when they did, they aimed again. You rose your gun once more, and waited for the walkers.

The first walker came. Ryan's gun went off, and the walker went down. Two more came. Ryan fired another shot, and then Kenny. The two bullets flew through the air and struck the walkers, sending them to the ground. More showed up. You pulled the trigger back, and took a breath, just like Cry had taught Clementine to do. The walker you shot went down. Ryan took another shot, and then Ben. Ben took his final shot (only having two bullets), and then announced that he was empty. After a moment, Christa did too. You fired at two more walkers, and then confirmed that you were out. Ryan had, right after you.

"I'm out, too!" Kenny announced.

"Fuck!" Omid cursed. "Where do we go?!"

The walkers continued coming. You watched them with wide eyes, before looking around. There had to be a way out. Had to be!

"Up!" Christa suddenly suggested. Everyone looked up, and noticed the attic for the first time since they'd arrived in the hall-way. Relief rushed over you. You reached up and pulled the string, and the attic came down. When it did, Kenny rushed up, and you followed. Then Christa. Then Felix. Then Ben. Then Omid, and finally, Ryan was the last to climb up. The brunette shut the door behind him. Everyone got up and began to move around, but you were confused when you found Ben walking up to you.

"Here..." He mumbled, handing you a gun in his hand. "You dropped this on your way up. I'm not good with these."

You nodded to him and took the gun. "Thanks, Ben." You mumbled back.

After a moment of silence, the group gathered into a circle, and Kenny was the first to speak.

"That could have gone better."

"Everyone okay?" Christa asked.

Kenny slowly shook his head. "Cry's still bitten."

Christa frowned. "Shut up." She told him.

Kenny scoffed, and crossed his arms, but Omid spoke before the redneck could.

"Okay. Let's get out of here and keep moving."

"The kid's right. We keep moving." Kenny mumbled. "Any chance we can get Clem and catch up to those God-damned thieves?"

You bit your lip. "I don't know." You admitted. "Maybe."

"Well, we're not going out through this window," Omid gestured to the window on the other side of the room. "No latches, no roof access, and thirty feet straight down."

Kenny huffed. "Anyone have any ideas?"

Omid smirked as he walked over to a desk, and gestured to the statue of a smart-looking gentlemen. "I bet this guy would." Omid laughed. "He's got a resourceful-looking air about him."

Christa frowned. "Knock it off." She mumbled.

Omid bent down to read the statue's title. "Dixon Kent, the third. Industrial-"

"OMID." Christa snapped at her boyfriend. Omid stood straight and looked toward his girlfriend, and frowned. He approached her and roughly sighed.

"Christa! I'm just trying to lighten the fucking tone!" He told her. Christa glared.

"We need SOLUTIONS." She snarled. "Not stupid jokes!"

"So..." Kenny mumbled. "No ideas, then?"

"There's..." Ryan started. He sounded a little... sick. You looked up to him worriedly, and watched as he wiped sweat off of his forehead. "There's got to be another way."

"Check the floors for any other access." Christa suggested. "A vent. Anything."

"Or, we wait for the house to clear-out, and stick to the high-ground." Kenny commented.

You ignored them and put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. He sent his gaze to you. His eye-color had... lessened a bit. His blue eyes were becoming more... gray. His face was nearly while from how pale he was... and dark circles started forming under his eyes. You looked to him, worriedly. He looked miserable.

"How are you feeling?" You softly asked. He looked you over and gave a small, weak hum, before wiping his forehead again. When he didn't answer, you went on. "You're not looking great... and you're warm." You told him. You reached up and pressed the back of your hand to his forehead.

"I-I... I'm..." Ryan groaned. "I'm... okay. I'm okay. Don't-"

_"Cry! Cry, I'm okay!"_

Your eyes widened at the sound of Clementine's voice going off on the Walkie-Talkie. Before Ryan could, you snatched the Talkie from his belt, and held it to your lips.

"Clementine?!" You spoke.

_"[Your Name]!" _Clementine's voice gasped. _"I'm fine! I'm where my parents-..._

_ ...Oh, no!"_


	30. Chapter 30

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Thirty**_

_**Don't Worry About It, Cry**_

_Your P.O.V._

"She's at the motel... they haven't moved her."

You looked to your group with concern, and they looked back with the same expression. You didn't realize Ryan was taking the Talkie from you, until it was on his belt again. He put his arm around you and held you close.

"Yet." Kenny mumbled.

"Yeah." Christa agreed. "Yet."

"Besides," Kenny sighed. "We need to think about more than just Clementine when it comes to our... urgency."

At this, he looked to Ryan. Ryan, who looked worse and worse by the second, tried waving off the comment. However, it was Omid who asked what Kenny had meant. Kenny scoffed.

"Well, Cry is still bitten, as said before," The redneck mumbled. "And we need to figure out how to get out of here."

"...That's the point," Omid mumbled. "We don't know, Kenny."

"Okay..." Kenny's brows narrowed. "Now, your life _depends_ on it. How do you get out of here?"

"I... I don't know." Omid repeated.

"Stop it." Ryan spoke up. "We can't panic."

The group turned to look to Ryan, and... Kenny motioned to the bloody stump that used to be Ryan's arm. "Do you think that worked?" The redneck asked.

Ryan tensed, and then looked down to his used-to-be arm. He blinked, and then looked to you, and then to Kenny.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I hope so."

Kenny sighed. "Well then, I think we need to have an... 'adult' conversation about what happens if Cry takes another spill." He paused, then looked to you, and then Felix. "I mean, guys, we could be looking at a Larry situation, here."

Christa rose an eyebrow. "Who's Larry?"

"Someone we used to know who died." You quickly told Christa. You then looked to Kenny. "What, you're not just saying we need to-"

"I just think we should worry about getting to Clem right now." Felix interrupted. "We'll deal with Cry when - or if - it happens."

"We're not gonna do her any good if Cry attacks us!" Kenny retorted.

You frowned. "That isn't going to happen." You told the redneck.

Kenny frowned at you. "How do _you_ know that, [Your Name]?"

"Guys." Christa interrupted. "I don't know what happened before Omid and I showed up, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Cry, I'm not trying to be avicating, here." Kenny ignored Christa. "But how is this not a thing? We are so focused on Clementine, that we _forget_ what happened to you-"

"My _arm_ is not the issue!" Ryan suddenly snapped, interrupting Kenny. "_I'm_ not the problem! The five hundred walkers in the house, and no _DOOR _in this room is the God-damned problem!"

"Yeah, maybe at the _moment!_" Kenny snapped. "But who's to say when it becomes an issue? And at that point, there may not be any time left to deal with it!"

"This is getting out of hand!" Omid commented.

Kenny glared as he began marching toward Ryan. Your eyes widened, and you gasped as Ryan gently pushed you toward Christa, Omid, Ben, and Felix. The five of you stood together, you in fear especially as you watched Kenny approach your boyfriend.

"You're going to listen to me!" Kenny snapped at Ryan. "We will get Clementine back, with or without you. Because I haven't given up everything to die, just because-"

"I'm SORRY." Ryan snapped back, his brows knitting together to form an irritated glare. "Fuck! We can't do this, Kenny!"

"We're gonna have to!" Kenny spat, taking a step even closer. You watched with wide eyes as Kenny suddenly looked to the statue that Omid had been studying earlier. He grabbed the statue and raised it above his head. You gasped, expecting him to smash it down on Ryan's head. But instead, Kenny grunted, turned, and threw the statue into the wall. The top of the statue shattered as it collided against the wood of the wall, and then hit the ground. The seven of you stared at the ground for the moment, before you heard Omid sigh.

"You ruined that dude's face." He spoke, tone disappointed.

"Shut up, sweetie." Christa snapped at her boyfriend. She then gestured to the wall. "Look!"

Kenny slowly approached the wall, to the dent that he had created in the wall. He crouched down and grabbed the hole, and with a light tug, a piece of wood came out. Kenny eyed it, curiously.

"It's corroded to hell..." He whispered.

Your face lit up. Kenny and Christa began bickering, but you payed no attention to them, as instead, you walked forward, grabbed the hat-rack close by, and hit the hole in the wall with the bottom. Another chip came off of the wall as you did so. You smiled, and did it again. Another chip came off, and the hole got wider. You grinned.

"This wall ain't shit!" You laughed.

Felix was at your side within moments, crouching down as he ran his hand over the larger hole in the wall. "Is that... really possible?" The Swede asked.

Kenny, soon enough, was at your other side. You watched as he grabbed the hat-rack from your side, lifted it, and hit the wall twice. Then, he smiled, and nodded. "Yeah," He confirmed. "We can do this." He paused. "We'll work in shifts. Christa, Omid, and I. Cry, you rest. Ben, Felix, and [Your Name], keep an eye on him. Let me know if he passes out again or something. We have to work fast."

You stood, as Felix did, and made your way over to Ryan. However, he wasn't moving to the couch in the attic to rest yet. Instead, he looked to Kenny with a look of sympathy. He slowly took in a breath, and then deeply breathed out.

"I wasn't going to hurt you, friend."

"Sure, pal." Kenny replied, though his voice wasn't sarcastic. "I know."

Ryan then turned around, and made his way toward the couch. You and Felix followed after him, and when he sat down on the couch beside Omid, you sat on his other side. Felix took his spot upon a turned-over box only a little ways away. Christa was sitting in a small chair beside Omid. When Christa watched him sit, she gave him a small nod.

"I'm glad you told us that you were bitten. It would have been easy not to, Cry."

"Yeah..." Ryan mumbled, and looked away. "Well..."

"We probably would have let you go alone if you hadn't told us," Christa continued. "Which would have been a mistake."

"If I were you," Omid chimed in. "I would have been scared, shitless."

Ryan took a moment, and then lifted his gaze to meet theirs. "I am." He admitted.

"And... when it happened?" Omid asked.

"I panicked." Ryan admitted again. "But now... I just feel it inside me. Like the day before you get the flu."

"That's horrible..." Omid mumbled.

Christa shook her head with pity. "It's so weird..." She whispered. "I keep doing a double-take on your arm, expecting it to be there."

Ryan shrugged. "I'm hoping that whatever was in the bite is gone, too."

You doubted it. Ryan was only growing worse. You were sure it was still there. And if it was, then... you'd be alone soon. Alone, and without him. This thought upset you. You moved closer to him, and leaned your head against his shoulder. He sighed, and reached over with his right hand to pat your head.

"What do you think the odds are of that?" Christa asked.

Ryan looked to her. "I don't know... I know everyone's wondering." He told her. "Even if it just slows down the process, I'd be happy."

"You don't mean that." Christa sighed.

"So, when we get this guy," Omid interrupted. "What do you think we should do."

You frowned, and lifted your head to meet your friend's gaze. "We make sure he never takes anybody from anyone again." You told him. "The world already has enough evil in it."

Omid blinked. "Well, what about you, [Your Name]?"

You rose a brow in confusion, and tilted your head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean... if Cry... _does_ pass..." He whispered. "What will you do?"

You blinked... and then looked away. You felt Ryan tense beside you. You folded your hands in your lap and twiddled your thumbs in thought. Finally, without looking up, you mumbled,

"I'll take care of Clementine. Her true parents are dead, and at this point, I'm pretty much her new mom. So if Cry dies... I'll continue raising her, and put in enough effort to show that I can fit the father-role, too."

"Please." Christa interrupted. "Can we not talk like this? The whole time at the hospital, Cry looked like he knew he was as good as dead."

"I was _bitten_, Christa." Ryan reminded her.

"You cut it off!" Christa retorted.

"What good is it to plan around that, working?" Ryan asked her.

Christa rolled her eyes. "What good is it for you to give up?"

"I haven't given up." There was a pause, and Ryan then turned to you. "[Your Name]... you have to promise to keep Clementine safe, okay?"

You looked up to him, and saw the seriousness in his blue-gray eyes. You slowly nodded, willing yourself not to cry.

"I will." You told him. "I promise."

"Don't do this." Christa grumbled.

Ryan turned to her and frowned. "I want [Your Name] to hear me." He told her.

"She hears you, but as of now, she's _not_ having this conversation." Christa growled.

"Christa..." Omid mumbled. "Let them do their thing. They're pretty much Clementine's parents. They need to work it out, so Clementine will be okay."

"She needs a family. People she knows." Ryan went on. "The only people left to do that for her is Felix and [Your Name]. They've been here since the beginning. She trusts them." He paused. "I don't trust Kenny with his anger issues."

Omid paused for a moment, and then gestured to the other side of the room. A little ways away, Ben was leaned against the wall, legs criss-crossed as he looked down at his lap. His eyes were closed, and his expression was a bit sad. You felt a pang of pity for the kid.

"We gotta support him." You mumbled. "He's a kid, still. It's easy to forget that."

"Does he loose his shit like that, often?" Omid curiously asked. Ryan shook his head.

"No." He replied. "That was a first."

"It's good that he did." Christa mumbled. "Kenny couldn't pull that shit on me."

Felix sighed and crossed his arms, speaking for the first time since he sat down. "Kenny has been an asshole to him." He stated. "He blames Ben for his family's death, and... it's just more complicated than that."

"Well, it seems like he got through to Kenny... whatever that's good for."

Speaking of the anger-issues redneck, you looked over your shoulder as you heard the banging Kenny had been creating stop. He trotted over, readjusting the hat on his head as he looked to our little chat-session.

"That's it..." Kenny panted. "I'm out of gas." He looked to Omid and smiled. "You look good and rested."

"Sure," Omid agreed. "If you don't count an infected leg." He got to his feet. Christa offered to do it, but Omid declined, confident that he could do it on his own. He turned and lightly limped toward the hat-rack and the growing hole in the wall. Kenny took his place on the couch beside Ryan.

"It shouldn't be long, now." Kenny mumbled. "It's good that we're forced to take a brea-"

You jumped as Ryan suddenly sucked in a breath and winced, showing obvious pain. He moved the stump-of-an-arm slightly as he did so, and groaned. You looked to him with a worried expression... and so did Kenny.

"That, uh... feeling any better?" The redneck asked. Ryan took a moment to recover, before looking up to his friend.

"My arm still feels recently chopped." He admitted honestly. "So, no, Kenny, it feels about as good as you'd expect."

"I mean... do you think it worked?" Kenny asked. "Did it... did it help at all?"

Ryan hummed in thought, and looked down to his arm again. "I feel like a man who got bitten..." He mumbled, before looking back up to Kenny. "So, take that for what it's worth."

"I still can't believe you got chomped..." Kenny mumbled. "Just... fucking hell, man..."

"At least he told us," Christa chimed in.

"Definitely took some brass." Kenny mentioned. "I don't think I would have." His face suddenly fell. You watched as he leaned forward, propped his elbows against his knees, and put his head in his hands. Christa looked concerned.

"How are you, Kenny?" She softly asked.

"I'm..." Kenny paused, and sighed. "I don't know how to answer that."

"I'm sorry..." Christa whispered. "You've lost more than anyone in here."

Ryan hummed. "It'll be alright, Ken." He mumbled.

Kenny nodded to Ryan... and then looked to Christa... sat up, and then frowned. "Christa, why are you acting like what's happened ain't happened?"

Christa blinked, and Kenny sighed, and looked away. "Anyway, I appreciate the support from both of you," He went on. "A lot of us have lost families." At that comment, he looked over in Ben's direction. Ben was still sitting in the same position, unmoving.

"Kenny, maybe you could take it easier on him from now on?" You whispered the suggestion. Kenny looked to you, and then back to Ben, and lightly frowned.

"I'm angry as hell." He grumbled.

"Not at him...?" You asked.

He blinked, and then sighed, looking away. "Maybe." He mumbled. "Maybe not."

Ryan nudged Kenny. "You heard him outside?"

"I did..." Kenny whispered. "I never really thought about it that way."

After that comment, you watched as he suddenly leaned over the couch to stare at something. His face lit up, and you curiously watched as he pulled a bottle of liquor out of a box. You frowned, and then frowned deeper when Ryan's face also lit up.

"Did Ryan, Felix, or [Your Name] tell you two much about what we've all been through?" Kenny asked Christa. Christa slowly shook her head.

"Bits and pieces."

Kenny shrugged. "Before ya'll, we had this woman. Lilly, with us." Kenny scoffed. "Lord knows where she is, now. Anyway, we had to... make some tough calls with her dad. She came between me and Cry pretty good, and I spent a lot of nights hating this guy's guts."

At the title "this guy", Kenny nudged Ryan's arm. A grin spread across Ryan's face, and he lightly chuckled. "After all of this, you know you're still a bastard, right friend?"

Kenny scoffed. "I've been hearing that my whole life, doc." You watched as he opened up the bottle, and rose it in the air.

"Well..." He mumbled. "Cheers."

He took a big swig, and after he did, he offered some to Ryan. Ryan gave another big grin and took the bottle. You frowned and slapped his shoulder. He looked to you, and sighed.

"Come on, [Your Name]. It isn't that bad."

Your frown deepened. "Now is not the time to drink, Cry..."

"Oh, come on, [Your Name]." Kenny groaned. "Let the man do what he wants. He's missing an arm, for Christ's sake."

You went to argue, but you didn't have time before Ryan ignored you and took his own giant swig of the booze. You got pissed, then. As he handed the bottle off to Kenny, you stood up and marched away from the spot you sat in. You could feel the group's eyes burning into your skin, but you ignored all of them as you made your way over to Omid. Just as he was about to hit the wall with the hat-rack, you snatched the rack from his hands, and with all your force, you slammed the rack into the wall. Omid looked surprised.

"[Y-Your Name]... are you... alright?"

"I'm fine!" You snapped at the innocent man. You pointed to the couch. "Gooo, sit down! Have a drink! Because apparently, getting drunk is a good decision right now, when we're trying to get out here and save that little girl!"

Omid looked confused. "I-"

"JUST GO." You snapped. Omid's eyes widened, and he did as he was told and went to join the rest of the group near the couch. You didn't look back at them a single time as you turned and began to slam the rack into the wall, over and over. You grunted with each hit. The group had gone quiet behind you, the only sounds being small murmurs.

You thought about Ryan ignoring your reasoning and taking a drink, and it pissed you off so much, that you increased your force on the wall. Suddenly, the hat-rack snapped in half. You grunted with irritation and threw the two pieces to the ground. You then began to slam your foot into the wall to try to break it open. Your grunts got louder and more violent, and in a moment, Ryan's arm wrapped around you.

"[Your Name]..." He whispered, his voice soft. "I-"

"Don't fucking touch me." You snapped at him. You pulled away from his hold, and continued to slam your foot into the wall. Suddenly, the hole gave way, and your foot slipped through. You gasped as you nearly fell to the ground. Ryan caught you at the last second, but you snarled at him, and wiggled out of hid hold.

Instead, you left his side and climbed through the hole, and popped in on the other side. There were no walkers, but even if there were, you wouldn't have cared. Instead, you looked around the room, noticing it was a bedroom, and let your eyes fall upon the bed.

Your face fell.

A husband and a wife lay in bed together, both containing a bullet to the brain. They were holding hands, and just above their hands, there lay a gun. Above them, upon the wall, the words _God Forgive Us _was traced in blood. You bit your lip as you took in the scene... and felt weak in the knees.

You fell to your knees, and buried your face in your hands. Everyone else slipped into the room, and after noticing the couple on the bed, began to scavenge and find a way out. Someone had come to your side and knelt beside you... and when you looked up, your [eye color] eyes met Ryan's blue-gray ones. You gave him a look of irritation, but also doubt and worry. You suddenly cried out, and buried your face into his shoulder. He held you against him with his one arm and rubbed your back, making soft hushing noises. When you'd pulled yourself together, you pulled away and looked up into his eyes and sighed.

"I-I'm sorry, Cry..." You whispered. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just... upset. With everything. If you _do_ pass away, then I'll have to take care of Clementine and myself on my own, and I don't know if I can survive without you. I..." You lowered your voice even further, and looked away. "I love you, Ryan, and I don't want you to leave me..."

Ryan looked guilty. Gently, he reached his hand up and wiped away a few tears that had been left on your cheeks. He slowly sighed, and leaned in, giving you a quick kiss on the lips.

"I love you too, [Your Name]..." He whispered. "I don't want to leave you, but I know you can take care of yourself. You're a wonderful, powerful woman who can stand above anything. I know you can make it..." He lightly smiled. "You and Clem are going to be okay."

"Hey, guys, I've found a way out!"

Felix's voice came from the other side of the room. You and Ryan looked away from each other, and lifted your gazes to meet Felix. He had opened the door to a balcony and was now standing atop it. He was pointing to a building, which wasn't very far away. Jumping distance. Your eyes lit up, and so did Ryan's. He helped you to your feet and the two of you, along with the rest of the group, made your way to the balcony. As you stepped out, Kenny followed, and smiled.

"Looks like we can stay off the streets all the way to River Street, if we're careful."

"Let's go," Christa suggested. Behind her, Ben nodded.

"Go ahead." The told the group.

The rest of the group turned to you, Ryan, and Felix. Felix looked to Ryan, and Ryan looked to you. You got the idea. They wanted you to go first. Turning, you carefully lifted yourself onto the balcony's small, skinny railing and stood, before launching yourself off of it. You flew through the air, and as you reached out, you too hold of the edge of the building, and pulled yourself onto it.

You then turned, and waited for the others. Ryan got on next and jumped without a problem. Felix looked a little nervous, but after you and Ryan called him a chicken, he proved you wrong by jumping and landing on the roof with grace. Omid and Christa went next, jumping with little problems. Omid's jump was a little clumsy, but you weren't too worried. You watched as Kenny jumped... and as he did, the balcony twisted under him.

Kenny made it safely onto the roof, but you weren't sure how many trips the balcony had left in it. You watched as Ben climbed onto the balcony, but... before he could jump... the balcony suddenly slipped from under him. His eyes went wide, and he screamed as he plummeted down to the ground. Your eyes widened.

"BEN!" You screamed.

"NOOO!" Ryan screamed.

The group stood in silence as they looked over the edge, trying to spot Ben's body. You heard a soft sigh come from Kenny.

"Me and my fucking mouth..." He mumbled.

"Holy FUCK," Omid gasped. "What are we gonna do?!"

Kenny looked to the group... and then took off, climbing down the building. Your eyes widened, and you quickly followed after him, Ryan and Felix on your tail. As you got to the bottom and stepped into the ally way, you looked around, and finally noticed. Kenny hunched over another body. You watched with wide eyes, and stood still for a moment. A sudden, soft, weak voice called out.

"O-Ow... ugh... I'm... okay..."

You felt Ryan move forward, and then Felix. You lagged behind, unsure of what you wanted to see. When they approached Kenny, their faces fell, and Felix looked like he was going to be sick. Ryan's hands started shaking, and he began to stammer. Curious now, you began to approach, and when you got close enough, looked at Ben's condition.

Oh, fucking God...

"I-I'm okay, j-just... get me out of here... I think... my leg's hurt..."

His voice was soft, and weak. He lay on the ground, flat on his back. Blood soaked his clothes, and sticking out of his stomach. Ryan continued to shake, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks. The same began to happen to you. You covered your mouth with your hand. Ben's face was going pale, and his breathing was shaky.

"Fucking hell..." Kenny whispered.

"N-No..." Ryan gasped out. "N-No, no, no..."

"W-What is it?" Ben asked, growing concerned at the group's expressions. "I'm okay. I'm okay..."

Kenny winced, and moved forward, grabbing Ben's sides. "It's okay..." He began to pull. "We can get you up-"

"OWWWW!" Ben screamed as Kenny tried to pull him off of the pole. Kenny winced again and let go, letting Ben's body slide back down. Tears began to roll down your cheeks. You watched as Ben leaned up, and finally saw the pole sticking out of his body. His eyes widened, and he reached out a shaky hand to grab onto the pole. Blood got onto his hand.

"J-Just yank him off that thing!" Felix snapped. "Fast!"

"What?!" Ben gasped, eyes growing even wider.

"Do you think-" Kenny's words were cut off by the sounds of walkers. You looked up, eyes fixing upon the end of the ally-way, where walkers were beginning to take notice to your presence. You looked behind you, and noticed that walkers were already piling in through the other way. You felt your heart drop into your stomach.

"Fuck!" Kenny cursed. He tried lifting Ben again, but Ben only screamed. Beside you, Ryan repeated the words "Come on" over and over again, more and more worry growing inside him. Ben looked over to the ally, and saw the walkers. He looked back to Kenny, pure terror on his features.

"Oh God! Don't let them get to me!" He pleaded. Beside you, Ryan gasped.

"J-Just do it! Just yank him off! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck!"

Kenny stood and turned to you, Ryan, and Felix. He frowned. "Do any of you have bullets left?" He lifted his gun. "This only has one left in it!"

"I'm out!" You told him. Ryan and Felix nodded with agreement. Kenny groaned.

"Shit..."

Ben shook his head and looked up to you guys, worried, and scared. You looked down to him with pity and worry. You reached out to take hold of his hand in a comforting-like gesture, but Kenny stopped you. He looked to the three of you and frowned again.

"Get the fuck out of here." He told you three.

Your eyes widened. "What?!"

"GO BACK!" Kenny growled. "She needs you!"

Ryan shook his head. "Kenny-"

"THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION!" Kenny yelled to Ryan. You looked to Ryan, unsure of what to do. Ryan looked back to you, and then to the metal bars of the gate you'd passed through. Suddenly, he took hold of your wrist and pulled you into the gate, along with himself. He turned and reached a hand out for Felix, and you watched with absolute dread as Felix shook his head to you two.

"My purpose in living is gone." Felix admitted, trying to talk over the walkers. "Marzia is dead. The only helpful thing I can do right now, is try to save anyone else from dying." He turned to Kenny. "Kenny, Clementine had never liked me as much as she liked Ryan and [Your Name]. She'll be okay without me. I'm staying with you. I'm going to help."

"FELIX!" Ryan screamed. "NOO!"

Felix quickly walked forward, and pulled Ryan into a hug. Ryan hugged him back, letting go of your wrist. He then pulled away as Ryan did. Ryan looked purely upset.

"P-Pewds..." He cried out. "D-Don't do this... you're my best friend, man..."

Felix gave a sad smile, and pulled Ryan into another hug. As he did, he leaned into Ryan's ear, and whispered, "Don't worry about it, Cry."

Ryan began to shake as he cried even harder. Felix pulled away again, and then gave you a hug as well. Before he pulled away, he gave you a light kiss on the forehead, and turned and walked out of the gate. Before he helped Kenny, however, he turned back, and flashed a smile.

You finally cried out, and tried to run to Felix, but Ryan held you back, and shut the gate. He held a hand over your mouth while he tried to hold you back with his one arm, and you watched with horror as Kenny and Felix disappeared behind the building. Walkers passed the gate and began to crowd Kenny, Felix, and Ben. You couldn't see the three, but you listened as Ben screamed, and pleaded for mercy. Suddenly, a gunshot sounded, and Ben's voice ceased. You sobbed out and turned around, burying your face into Ryan's shoulder. He held you tightly and cried with you, and then, he softly whispered...

_"Okay, Pewds... I won't worry..."_


	31. Chapter 31

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Thirty-One**_

_**Reunion**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

All that could he heard was the sounds of walkers growling. That was it. I swear to God, the sound is going to drive me crazy one day. They never stopped. They just kept growling and groaning... waiting for something to chew on.

[Your Name] and I were sobbing messes, but we knew we had to continue on... and find Clementine. After we explained what happened to Kenny, Felix, and Ben to Christa and Omid, we took off toward the direction of the Marsh House. I had my arm wrapped around [Your Name]'s shoulders the entire walk. She needed support, and... so did I.

The walk was longer than I'd like, but staying on the roof-tops saved us a lot of time... and kept us safe. We ran into no walkers... we had a moment to breathe. When we finally did come across the Marsh House, the the street was too crowded to go down to. I couldn't see a single bit of asphalt or sidewalk because of the walkers that roamed left and right.

As I looked around, I noticed a long sign that stretched from one building to the other. It was the only way across, and I and [Your Name] knew it. She and I shared a look for a moment, before looking to Christa and Omid.

"[Your Name] and I will go first," I decided. "Together. I don't want anyone doing anything alone now."

"Agreed." Christa mumbled.

[Your Name] and I slowly approached the sign. I wasn't always fond of heights, and... this was really, _really_ high. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to go first anymore... but then... I lifted my gaze to meet the sign of a building right across the street.

The Marsh House.

I thought for a moment. Clementine needed me. She needed both of us. She wasn't going to make it alone, and that man could be doing anything with her. I had to try. We had to find her. I put on a determined frown, and after [Your Name] stepped onto the sign, I followed after.

The two of us kept a slow pace, and listened to the advice Omid continued to give us both as we crossed. With every step, the sign shook, and I had a great fear that it would unhook from the walls it was connected to, and fall... just like the balcony, with Ben.

Suddenly, the sign cracked. My eyes widened, and for a moment, I shared a look of panic with [Your Name], before the sign snapped. I watched with wide eyes, and screamed as the part of the sign she stood on fell to the ground. I held onto my part tightly, and looked down at her, watching as she quickly got to her feet and looked around. Walkers began to notice her, and moved to grab her.

She gasped, and looked back up to me with a worried gaze. I let go of the sign. As I hit the ground, I landed on my ass, but quickly got back to my feet and rushed over to her. I pulled her out of the way, just before a walker tried to snatch her. She stayed close to me, looking up to me with wide eyes full of fear.

"What do we do?!" She gasped, and began to look around to the on-coming walkers. I looked down to her, and then frowned as I pulled the mini-axe from my belt.

"We fight." I told her. I handed her the axe, and then pulled the knife from earlier out of my pocket. We looked to each other... and then gave a slow nod. She stayed close to me, and we began to walk together.

With every walker that came with us, they got a blade to the head. Some heads were hit... others were sliced in half completely. We worked quickly as they walked. They came more and more, but we kept going, slicing at their soft skulls as they came by. Blood continued to spatter all over our clothes and faces, but we didn't care anymore. Our only goal was to get to the Marsh house.

The shitty feeling I'd been experiencing since this morning grew worse and worse, and I was practically leaning on [Your Name] for support. But eventually, we made it out of the crowd, and to the front doors of the Marsh House. As we approached, we couldn't help but notice the oddly familiar car. I didn't know why, but... it rung a bell. I looked down to [Your Name], but now, she wasn't paying attention to the car. She just wanted to get inside... and so... we did.

_Your P.O.V._

"I got us adjoining rooms."

He wore a dark orange jacket, scruffy blue jeans, nice brown shoes, and held a shiny hand-gun in his hand, pointed at you and Ryan. The two of you had just been about to open a door in the hotel-room that Clementine was probably in... but this fucker stopped you. His hair was neatly combed... which freaked you out, considering you couldn't remember the last time your hair was nice and done. You deeply glared at him. So THIS was the fucker that took YOUR kid.

"...Hello..." Ryan's voice was barely above a whisper.

The man rose an eyebrow as he looked Ryan up and down. "Okay..." He said slowly. "This is... civil." Then, a ghost of a smile was placed on his lips. "The two of you look horrible, but... Ryan, you look even worse." He paused for a moment. "And you're missing an arm."

You watched as he motioned to the desk behind you with his gun. "Go over there." He commanded. You slowly looked to Ryan. You watched as the man slowly began to walk over to the desk. You followed, slowly looking back to the man as you walked. When you'd done what he asked, he'd nodded. "Put your things dow-"

"Let me out!" A sudden voice, high-pitched, young, and feminine, came from the other side of the door you had just been about to open. Her voice was followed by banging. "Who's out there?"

"Clem!" You gasped, your voice quiet. You went to move toward the door.

"Don't move." The man snapped. You turned around again, and your eyes widened as you realized the man had walked up to you, and now pressed the gun against your temple as he reached into your pockets and grabbed your things. You looked to Ryan, and he looked to you with a dark gaze. You could tell he was pissed at the man.

"Quiet, please. Sweetie." The man called to Clementine. He then turned to Ryan and glared. "Your things." He reminded the man. "On the desk."

When the man had finished taking your things, he grabbed your hair, and you forced yourself to keep quiet as he drug you over to a chair, facing the door you and Ryan had come from. He sat down, and then shoved you to the ground, in front of his legs. He held onto your hair, and kept his gun pointed at your head, and ordered Ryan to sit in the other chair, Ryan did so, after he set down his things, and moved slowly. When he got to the chair, he slowly sat down, and watched you with a helpless gaze. The man sighed.

"I don't want to do this, but if you do anything that I make out to be a threat, I'll shoot her." He told Ryan. "Is that understood, 'Masked Man'?"

Ryan slowly nodded. "Yes, sir." He replied.

The man nodded, and kept the temple of the gun to your head as he looked up to Ryan.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked.

Ryan looked the man up and down... and then looked back to his face. "No," Ryan replied, honestly. "Nothing at all. I don't know anything about you."

The man hummed. "You wouldn't." He spoke darkly. "People like you don't."

The man waited for a response, but when Ryan kept quiet, he continued. "I bet now you're thinking... 'Who would have it out for me?', huh?" He asked. You rose your eyebrow in confusion, and continued to look worriedly up at Ryan. He looked worse. You knew he didn't have much time left. He was going to die soon.

"A few weeks back..." The man mumbled, softly. "There might have been a station-wagon in the forest? Things full of food... water... things you need to survive..."

Your eyes widened, and so did Ryan's. You both looked to each other with a knowing expression.

"Yeah... I'm not some cannibal, Ryan." The man continued. "Not some... killer, out in the woods. Some... v-villain..." The man paused, and pressed the gun further into your temple. You flinched, and softly cried out. He hushed you, and glared at Ryan, who continued to look angry. The man continued. "I'm just a... dad. I coach little league."

"[Your Name] and I didn't take from you." Ryan stated slowly.

The man scoffed. "Your _people_ didn't?"

Ryan slowly shook his head. "We didn't agree with it."

The man slowly nodded. "That's what Clementine, said." He spoke darkly. Slowly. It was creeping you out. "Why didn't you?"

Ryan hesitated in his reply... and then took in a deep breath. "It wasn't right." He told the man. "It wasn't our stuff."

The man was on the verge of snickering... but he didn't. "That's _real_ good of you," He said sarcastically.

Ryan swallowed. "Look," He asked. "What do you want me to say?"

The man looked away... toward you. You tried your best not to look up at him, though you could feel his eyes burning into your head. "I don't want you to say anything..." He finally spoke. "I want you to know what happened." He paused, and then sighed. "Have you ever... hurt somebody you care about?" He asked.

"Yeah..." Ryan nodded, voice soft. "Of 'course."

The man blinked, though his facial expression didn't change. "Who?" He asked.

You thought for a moment, mentally going through a list of people you'd cared about that you hurt in the past. There was a list of people, but not many as of recently. Or at least... you hoped not. Ryan seemed to be in deep thought, too... and finally... he met the man's gaze again.

"Clem." He replied softly. "She misses her parents, and... [Your Name] and I... we aren't them."

The man slowly nodded. "I hurt her. So bad."

Your eyes widened. Did he hurt Clementine?! Did this man HURT Clementine?! You were going to kick his ass! You would! You'd kill the fucker!

"My son, Adam, went missing." The man continued. "I took him hunting, even though my wife said he was too young. I figured he had to learn..." He paused for a moment, remembering. "I came back without him, and the look on her face said... _You are a monster._.. We all went out looking for him. We never found him." He then paused, and lowered his voice. "I hurt her... _so_ bad..." He repeated. "And then we came back... and all of our stuff was gone. Your people, Ryan. That asshole in the bald cap. His stupid _fucking_ wife... I could have earned her trust back, if they hadn't made our situation _so_ desperate..."

You felt a major pang of guilt. You tilted your head down, and shut your eyes as you looked away. He pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of your head even harder, now, but you refused to cry out. You sensed Ryan tensing.

"I'm... sorry..." Ryan whispered.

The man with the gun hummed. "The hungrier we got, the more she blamed me." He continued. "Until she finally took our daughter, Elizabeth, and left. They didn't get far, I... found them... a day later... in the road." He then paused, and yanked on your hair. You cried out with pain as your head was yanked upward. He roughly pressed the barrel of the gun to your head. You watched Ryan with wide eyes, begging for help with your eyes. The man roughly sighed.

"Do I look like a monster to you?" He asked your boyfriend.

Ryan slowly shook his head. "No..." He whispered. "You don't."

The man hummed again, and took a breath. "I'm not like you." He stated. "You killed a man with a salt-lick right in front of a little girl."

You tensed. Ryan tensed again, and the two of you remembered that day. You winced as he pulled tighter on your hair. Ryan looked like he was trying very hard to look calm.

"It's more complicated than that." He spoke slowly.

The man frowned. "You lied to her... _and _your wife..." Whoa. Wait. Wife? You flushed. "...about who you really are."

Ryan slowly shook his head. "It wasn't the right time to tell them..." He admitted. "To tell Clementine."

"You brought that little girl to the most dangerous place in the city, _where she could have DIED._" The man spat. You winced as he pulled your hair again. Ryan looked like he wanted to explode. His eyes were locked on your hair, and his gun against your temple.

"I couldn't leave her at the house alone." Ryan defended.

The man snarled. "SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF!"

You gasped and cried out. "OW! YOU'RE HURTING ME!"

You yelped as smacked your head with the butt of the gun. "SHUT UP!" He snapped at you. You felt tears prick at your eyes. You gave a small whine as you looked to Ryan again.

Ryan slowly shook his head back and fourth, looking away for only a split second. "How could you have known all of this?" He asked.

The man smirked, and slowly leaned forward, setting a black and yellow walkie-talkie onto the small coffee-table beside the chair. Ryan and I eyed it carefully, taking in the information we were just given. He had a Walkie-Talkie. He must have found Clementine during one of her fake conversations with her parents.

"You're a monster, Ryan." The man spoke darkly. "You're a murderer, and you're a thief." The man flicked the safety off of the gun and cocked it, before pressing it to your temple again. "And I'm going to hurt you _so _bad."

Ryan slowly shook his head, his eyes showing hints of fear. "It doesn't have to be this way." He told the man.

The man scoffed. "You can't take care of _anyone_." He informed Ryan. "After I found Clementine on my radio, I wasn't even mad at you. Or your wife. I was coming for the others. For revenge." He paused. "But the more I heard about the things the two of you did, and the danger that Clementine was in... Our plan changed."

Ryan looked to you.

"Ryan, listen to me. I want you to hear me, before what happens next."

Ryan looked back up to the man.

"I can take care of Clementine..." The man whispered. "And you're beautiful girl, here. We can have a family." He paused. "I bet you don't even know how old the little one is."

Ryan frowned. "She's eight." He told her.

"Wrong." The man snapped. Ryan's eyes widened. "She's nine." The man continued. "Her birthday was six days ago. I know how to be a dad, you know. She wouldn't be exposed to what she has been with you."

You and Ryan shared a look of surprise. Why hadn't Clementine said anything?

Ryan suddenly frowned. "No." He growled. "Shut up."

"It makes sense," The man offered.

"It's not happening." Ryan retorted. He paused. His frown deepened. "I'm bitten."

The man's eyes widened a little. "What?"

Ryan slowly nodded. "I got bit..." He whispered. His eyes darkened. "And I'm going to make sure you end up the same way as me."

Your eyes widened, and you felt fear strike up inside you. Ryan's pose, now. He looked... ready to kick some ass. In a bad way. You were almost worried you were going to get hurt in a moment... or that he was going to do something that would get himself shot.

"I, uh..." The man trailed off.

Ryan smirked. "Make sure you shoot me in the head, friend." He told the man.

The man frowned. "No. I'll be with her, and you'll be rotting in the streets."

Suddenly, you watched as he looked over to a bag to the left of his chair, beside you. You hadn't noticed the bag before, but hell, you noticed it now. You realized something was moving inside it... and from your angle... you saw exactly what it was.

The head of a female walker.

Your eyes widened. You thought you were going to be sick.

"Hey, honey..." The man whispered. "I think this is all going to work out."

Ryan began to say something, but something else cut him off. Something that you couldn't hear or see. You looked up to him, while the armed man continued to talk to his bag of rotting heads. Ryan's eyes were wide, and following something behind the man's chair. You wondered if a walker had somehow gotten in... but you realized that it hadn't been making any noise. It wasn't a walker, so... what was it?

Suddenly, the man grunted, and a clunking sound was heard. Ryan sprang out of the chair, and you dove to the right. As you did, Clementine's body came into view. Not bloody. She was exactly the way she was the last time you saw her... only... missing her hat. You turned onto your back and looked up, watching as Ryan knocked the man over in the chair. The man snarled and grabbed Ryan, and the two went rolling to the floor, to your right. You yelped and got out of the way, scrambling to your feet. You watched with wide eyes as the man pinned Ryan down and aimed the gun.

You ran toward and threw your foot forward, kicking him right in the head. The man let out a pained yell, and gave you a rage-filled glare. Ryan took his opportunity and moved his foot under the man's stomach, and kicked him backward. The man stumbled backward, his back hitting the edge of the bed. The gun was knocked to his hand, and went flying across the room. While Ryan struggled to get to his feet, you noticed the man try to go for the gun. You snarled and ran up to him, knocking him into the wall, and pressing your elbow to his neck. You began to choke him, but his hands suddenly came up, the right one slapping you across the face.

You yelped as you fell backward. The man grabbed for his gun and walked up to you, aiming for your face. Before he pulled the trigger, Ryan shoved him back into the wall, and his gun went flying again. Ryan pressed his arm into the man's neck as he tried to choke him. But the more he stared... the more you noticed him realizing what he was doing. He pulled away... which was a mistake.

The man tackled Ryan to the ground, and did his turn of trying to suffocate the man. The man mumbled something, wishing for Ryan to die. You tried to get to your feet, but you stopped as a loud gunshot sounded. The man's head now contained a hole, and he fell to the ground, off of Ryan. Ryan's eyes widened... and the two of you looked to the holder of the gun.

_Clementine._


	32. Chapter 32

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Chapter Thirty-Two**_

_**Keep That Hair Short**_

_Cry's P.O.V._

"C-Clem...?"

I stammered her name over and over again, as she slowly dropped the gun to her feet. Her eyes were set on the man that she had just killed... the man that would have killed me, if she hadn't of done something. Her hands began to shake with fear. She slowly shook her head.

"I..." She whispered. "I... I..."

[Your Name] gave a slow, relieved sigh, and moved to Clementine's side. She dropped to her knees, and pulled Clementine into a hug. I quickly trotted forward as well, and dropped to my girlfriend's right, and wrapped my arm around Clementine. Clementine shook in our hold, tears running down her face. [Your Name] held tightly onto her, making hushing noises as she smoothed out her hair. It wasn't long before the three of us pulled away, and Clementine noticed my arm. She gasped.

"Y-You're arm's gone..." She whispered. "Why? That's so scary..."

I cleared my throat to speak, and when I formed words, I noticed how weak and... slow I spoke. "I had an accident..." I told her. "We'll talk about it, later."

Clementine slowly shook her head. "You don't smell good." She told me. She looked to [Your Name]. "Or you..."

[Your Name] slowly nodded. "Yeah, I know, sweat-pea."

"D-Did he hurt you?" I quietly asked, my voice cracking. Clementine looked back to me... and to my arm. She didn't seem like she could stop staring. She slowly shook her head as she forced her gaze to meet mine.

"No... not really." She replied, her voice full of fear. "I-I'm sorry, Cry... I'm sorry, [Your Name]."

"Clem..." [Your Name] whispered. "It's okay..."

"We're not mad, honey..." I spoke softly. "We're just glad you're not hurt... But we have to get you somewhere safe... and then we have to talk, okay?"

You and [Your Name] stood, and as we did, Clementine slowly nodded up at us both. "Yeah..." She replied.

"Everything's okay, now." [Your Name] mumbled. "We have to figure out how to get out of Savannah as fast as we can."

I looked to her, and watched as she looked to the ground. She slowly bent over, and picked up the hand-gun that had belonged to the man. She studied it for a moment, before standing, and looking over to the man. We'd never learned his name...

"Hey..." [Your Name] whispered, looking to Clementine. Clementine looked back at her, curiously. [Your Name] cracked a small smile. "You weren't afraid."

Clementine slowly shook her head. "I was."

[Your Name]'s smile widened only slightly. "You didn't act like it." She told the little girl.

"I know..." Clementine whispered. "Felix told me not to be afraid, but... I am now."

I blinked, and felt my heart sink a little bit. Thinking of Felix made me want to cry all over again. And the look on [Your Name]'s face proved that she didn't like the recently-created memories of the blonde Swede, either. Clementine suddenly looked concerned.

"We have to go." I told them. I looked toward the door, and after making sure the girls were ready to go, I made my way over to it. I opened the door... and gasped as it revealed a walker standing on the other side. It's big, soulless eyes stared into mine. It groaned, but... it didn't lunge to grab me. It just stared, it's face blank. Then, suddenly, it began to move past me... toward Clementine. I moved quickly, grabbing the walker and knocking it to the ground. [Your Name] lifted the gun from where she stood and pulled the trigger, killing it instantly. After we were sure it was dead, I stared at it, curiously. However, Clementine had been the one to speak my thoughts.

"It... It didn't bite you..." The girl whispered.

"Yeah..." I panted. "I know... it must have-"

"You're covered in all that gross stuff..." Clementine whispered. She turned to [Your Name]. "And so are you..."

"We had to get through a bunch of them to get here," [Your Name] offered. "Maybe we smell too much like them for it to have known the difference?"

I blinked, and slowly nodded in agreement. "That makes sense." I mumbled. ...I then looked to the hotel window... and back to Clementine. Lightbulb.

"And that's how we'll get out of Savannah..." I whispered.

[Your Name] got the message. Quickly, she walked over to the desk, and grabbed the kitchen-knife from before. Then, she walked back, and got down onto the ground beside the dead walker. She looked to Clementine, and then beckoned her over. Clementine was hesitant, but it wasn't long before she walked over to [Your Name], and waited for the inevitable.

[Your Name] looked up to Clem. "They smell horrible," She started. "Which means _you_ have to, too, sweetheart."

Clementine looked grossed out. "Yuck..." She whispered. "O-Okay..."

[Your Name] began to cut the walker open. Clementine looked disgusted. She brought her hands to her chest nervously, and made a disgusted whine. I sighed, feeling so much pity for the girl.

"I know..." I whispered to her. "I know. But we're going to take a _really_ good bath later, okay?"

"Promise?" Clementine asked.

I slowly nodded. "Promise, Clemmy. Promise."

[Your Name] was reluctant, but she knew what she had to do. Slowly... she reached her bare hand into the walker's body, and pulled out some of it's guts. Her hand was covered in blood, and when she lifted it up, blood raced down her arm. She shuddered, and looked like she was going to throw up. She then looked up to Clementine, whispered an apology, and began to wipe down the girl's dress with the guts.

Clementine whined and shuddered as the guts were being rubbed on her. [Your Name] looked guilty, and looked to me, as if she wanted some advice. I had none to give her. I only shrugged and watched as she continued to rub blood and gore all over the girl's clothes.

"There..." [Your Name] whispered at last. "That should do it."

She got to her feet, and Clementine turned to me, presenting herself with the blood and guts dripping down her dress. I gave her a sad look and whispered a second apology. She tried to stick it out, but... I could tell she was having a difficult time.

"I hope so..." Clementine whispered back to [Your Name].

Suddenly, I cracked a small smile. "And you're missing something." I told her. I unhooked her hat from my belt, and handed it to her. Clementine's face lit up. She must have not noticed that I had it until just now. A small smile spread across her features. She took the hat into her hands, and slipped it on with joy.

"I thought it was gone!"

My smile faded. "Well... we thought _you_ were gone, Clem..."

Clementine smiled up at the two of us. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Okay... you have to stay next to us outside, Clem." [Your Name] started. "Right next to us. Don't look around... and don't panic. Understand?"

Clementine slowly nodded. "M-Hmm..."

"I'll keep you safe..." I whispered. I looked up to meet [Your Name]'s gaze. I nodded to her. "Both of you."

She smiled softly at me, but her smile left as quick as it came. She looked back to the hallway, and then to Clementine. Then, the three of us joined hands, and walked out of the room together.

_Your P.O.V._

As the three of you stepped out of the house, you let go of each other's hands and instead huddled close together. Ryan had ordered Clementine to stay quiet and close, and Clementine obeyed. You looked around your surroundings for a moment, and noticed it was night-time. Thunder rolled in the distance... and then lightning crashed. Worry coded your expression. If there was going to be a storm, then it would start raining... and that wasn't good.

The three of you made your way into the walker-infested street. You didn't think he'd realized it, but Ryan was practically leaning against you for support. He was limping along... you could imagine how weak he felt. Beside you, Clementine looked concerned, but she had done as you had told her, and didn't look up. Or around. Or panicked... or at least... tried not to.

You kept her close to you, and Ryan as well, and continued to walk the streets. Walkers looked in your tiny group's direction to take a double-take, but when they confirmed that the three of you were just walkers, they looked the other way, and continued to aimlessly roam. The smell was awful. Going through the crowd on the way to the Marsh House, you hadn't noticed it, but now, walkers were the only thing you could think about... and you really... _really_ didn't like the smell.

...You could go for some roses right about now.

Suddenly, Clementine stopped. You blinked, and slowly, _slowly_, turned toward her. Ryan did the same, keeping every move small, for fear of being discovered. The little girl's eyes were wide, and a look of surprise and horror shown on her face. You lifted a brow in confusion, and slowly, _slowly,_ lifted your head to see where she was looking.

Two walkers... which looked oddly similar to Clementine... roamed the streets, snarling, starving... nothing but two rotting corpses. You were confused at first, but... then you realized... they were Clementine's parents. The walker form of her parents. You felt your heart swell with sadness, and you gave a light squeeze on Clementine's shoulder. She began to shake, and you hoped to God that she didn't start crying. Not now. It wasn't the time. But how could she not? She just discovered the death of her own parents.

"Clem... d-don't..."

There was a sudden thump, coming after a weak voice. Your eyes widened, and you slowly turned around (though this wasn't as slow as your other actions). Ryan's eyes were closed, and his pale, slumped, weak figure had fallen to the ground, unconscious. Your eyes widened, and you felt panic began to rise inside you. Ryan passed out. Ryan PASSED OUT, in the middle of a ZOMBIE HERD. Was he dead?! Oh God, Ryan, PLEASE don't be dead! Not yet!

You looked to Clementine, then back to Ryan. Then back to Clementine. Slowly, you hunched over Ryan's finger, grabbed his legs, and began to drag him. Clementine slowly made her way over to Ryan's arms, and together, you guys slowly began to drag Ryan away. You looked up and around as you tried to find a place to put him. Suddenly, you found Clementine pointing to the back of a police-building, with a garage door that was partially opened. Thankful for Clementine's smarts, you gave her a slow nod, and the two of you dragged Ryan over.

You began to get suspicious looks from walkers, but before they could even have the time to really realize what was going on, the three of you were inside the building. Clementine let go of Ryan, and you took the chance to drag his body across the room. You eventually found a heater, and rested him beside that, resting his back against the wall. His arms were limp at his sides, and his chest hardly moved. You felt fear begin to rise inside you.

Suddenly, the garage door shut. SHUT. Your eyes widened, and you spun around, to see Clementine shutting it behind her. You gasped.

"No!" You whispered. She looked up to you with wide eyes. You sprinted to her side and tried to open the door, but it was locked, now. And even if it was unlocked, it was too heavy to lift up anymore. You cursed silently under your breath as you tried to think of another way out.

Suddenly, your eyes turned to Ryan. No... you couldn't think of a way out now. Not with your boyfriend like this. You had to do something. You had to wake him up. He couldn't be dead! Not now!

You ran over to the sick brunette's side, got to your knees, grabbed his shoulders, and began to shake him as you tried to wake him up. Clementine was at your side in a moment, prodding his leg.

"Cry!" She cried. "Cry, wake up! Please, you can't be dead! Please, no..."

Suddenly, Ryan's eyes slowly opened. They'd almost gone completely gray, but they'd shown some signs of blue. His eyes fixed on the two of you with recognition, and he let out a faint, pained groan. He blinked lightly as he tried to register what was going on. Beside you, a relieved smile broke out onto Clementine's features.

"Cry! I was so scared..." She whispered. "I thought you left us. I... I thought you left _me_...I... I..." She paused, and looked away. "I saw my parents..."

"I... know..." Ryan barely choked out to her. He lifted his tired eyes to meet yours. "They didn't... get... to you... r-right...?"

You slowly shook your head. "No..." You whispered. "We got away."

"They're dead, for sure..." Clementine choked out.

Ryan moved to get up, and you stiffened your shoulders as he used you for support. He nearly got off of his ass... and then fell back onto the ground. He looked up to you with helpless eyes.

"We... have... to get out... of Savannah..." He whispered, voice drawn-out.

"I know, honey..." You whispered to him. "As fast as we can."

"We can't!" Clementine argued. "There's thousands of them outside!"

"We... have to..." Ryan whispered, looking to Clem. "I-...I'll protect... you two... we have to p-push through them..."

"No, no! That's crazy!" Clementine argued. "We dragged you here. We saved you. We're safe here. I locked us in!"

Ryan's eyes widened. "N-No..." He whispered. "Get... get that door open..."

You slowly shook your head, your eyes shining from the water that was forming. "R-Ryan, I tried..." You whispered. "It... God... It won't open."

Ryan blinked, and slowly looked away. "S-Shit..."

There was silence between the three of you for a moment. You stared at Ryan with sad, sad eyes. You knew what was going to happen, but oh God, you didn't want it to... you wanted him to live. You wanted to live as a happy family of three out in the country-side, where no walkers could get you. Be safe... and happy... survive... with your daughter and your boyfriend...

"C-Clementine..." Ryan whispered. "My... arm is g-gone, because... I... cut it off..."

Clementine's eyes widened. "W-Why would you do that?!"

"B-Because..." Ryan started. You put a comforting arm around Clementine. "I-...I was bitten, Clem..."

Clementine's eyes widened even further. She began taking in little gasps. "N-No! Please! Please, that's not true!"

"Y-Yes..." Ryan argued. "It... It is... I'm... sorry... Clementine... I'm supposed to... take care of you, and... I... I can't, now..."

Clementine brought her hands to her mouth as she began to cry, staring at Ryan with big, sad, _sad_ eyes. Her body began to shake again as she cried. She shook her head and whined out, "I know..."

You slowly stood, looking away from the dying man and the little girl as you looked around. There was a small room, with a door that lead into it. It had a walker inside, dressed in a police-outfit, but it was trapped between a desk and the wall or something... you couldn't really see from there. On the other side of the room, there was another door that could possibly lead to your freedom. You turned back to Ryan.

"I think there's a way out over there." You informed him. "Inside that room."

"G-Good..." Ryan mumbled. He looked up to you, and gently reached his arm up. "H-Help me up, I... might be... a little slow..."

You slowly crouched down, and without warning, reached out to cup Ryan's cheek with your hand. His skin felt as if it was on fire. He went from turning white to turning a little purple. The circles under his eyes had gotten ten times worse than before. You looked him up and down, before slowly shaking your head. Ryan knew what you meant. You both knew he couldn't continue on. He could barely get off of his ass. He couldn't do it... This... this was it...

"I thought I was helping by bringing you in here..." Clementine whispered. "This is my fault..."

"Clementine, this isn't your fault..." You looked to her. "It's okay, sweetie."

Ryan slowly nodded. "You... did... help, C-Clem...entine... It's... awful out... out there..." He looked up to the little girl. "You... did good... okay?"

"G-Get up, Ryan..." Clementine whispered. She turned around and motioned to the door only fifteen feet away. "The door's right here!"

Ryan lightly frowned in concentration, and tried to get to his feet. You offered a hand, but he refused... because in moments... he was back on the ground with a painful grunt. He slowly shook his head. "I... c-can't, Clem..."

"You have to!" Clementine argued.

"Clem..." Ryan slowly shook his head again. "I can't... move... this is... it for me here..."

"N-No!" Clementine cried. "Please! Please, TRY to get up!"

You watched as Ryan made a second attempt to get up... and failed. He painfully dropped to the ground again, and leaned back against the wall once more. He looked up to you both with a hopeless expression. You felt tears began to fall down your cheeks.

"You... two... don't have much time..." Ryan whispered out. "You... have to do something... f-fast..." He looked up to you. "[Y... Y-Your Name]..."

You slowly shrugged, ignoring the tears that were gliding down your cheeks. "Like what, baby?" You asked him. "What do you want us to do?"

Ryan hesitated a moment as he thought. His eyes kept opening and closing... and you could tell he was struggling to stay conscious. You sighed and slipped your hand into his, giving it a light squeeze as you waited for his response.

"You gotta go..." He whispered. "You need... to get Clementine out of here as... soon as you can..."

"N-No!" Clementine gasped. "We can't leave you!"

"J-Just..." Ryan groaned. "Just work on... getting out... okay? We'll... figure it all out. Don't... worry..."

Slowly, you let go of Ryan's hand and stood up, looking around the room. Your eyes landed on the door at the same time that Ryan's did.

"Just... start by... getting that door opened..." He whispered.

Slowly, you took Clementine's hand, and the two of you, together, made your way toward the door. You reached up and tried to open it... and discovered that it was locked. You bit your lip.

"It's locked..." Clementine whispered.

"That's okay..." Ryan spoke up. "It's not... a big deal... it's just a glass... window..."

Ryan was right. On the door, there was a small glass window. If it was broken, you could probably unlock the door on the other side. You turned to Clementine, and then to Ryan, and then around the room. You hadn't thought to grab your axe before you left the Marsh House, and you'd left the knife beside the walker that you used to cover Clementine's dress with.

"There's... a... baseball bat under the counter..." Ryan whispered, looking to the left. "You can... use that..."

You blinked, and looked over to the counter, to spot a baseball bat under the counter, as Ryan had promised. Without warning, Clementine sprinted over to the counter, grabbed the baseball bat, and ran back, handing the weapon to you. You took the bat into your hands.

"Use that bat to... shatter the window..." Ryan advised. "So you can... reach in..."

You slowly nodded to him, then turned and roughly brought the fat part of the bat to the window. It loudly shattered, pieces of glass falling to the ground. Once that was done, you dropped the bat, reached over the door, and unlocked it. As you opened it, the walker began to growl on the other side. When it's eyes landed on you, it snarled, and tried to get to you. It reached its arms out to grab you, but since he was pinned, there was nothing it could do unless you were too close. You looked the walker up and down as you studied it.

"He's trapped." You informed Ryan.

"That's... good..." Ryan mumbled. "He'll... probably have everything... you need... like keys... to get out that door..."

You looked around the room, and one of the first things you spotted was the hand-cuffs on the ground. Slowly, you walked forward and picked them up. You noticed Ryan watch you do it, and you realized he had another thought going. You handed the cuffs to Clementine for that moment, before slowly approaching the walker. However, Ryan's voice stopped you.

"[Your Name]... come... here..."

You turned around, and saw Ryan's eyes looking into yours, waiting for you. You slowly made your way over to him, and crouched down. You put your hand on his.

"I'm here, Ryan..." You whispered.

Ryan slowly nodded. "You're both doing... excellent..." He whispered. "Now... put the handcuffs on me... attach me to... this..."

You blinked, and looked to the heater that you'd set Ryan next to. His right hand edged closer to it, and he looked to you, waiting. You hesitated... you didn't want to... but right now, you were willing to do anything that Ryan told you to do. So, you looked over your shoulder, to Clementine.

"Hand me the cuffs, Clem..." You whispered. "Please?"

"W-What..." Clementine asked, eyes widening again. "Why?"

"No matter what happens, we're safe, then." You told her. You reached out. "Hand me the cuffs, please..."

Clementine slowly shook her head. "I d-... I don't know..."

Ryan slowly took a breath. "Just... do it..." He whispered.

Clementine slowly handed the cuffs to you, and you turned around. You gently took Ryan's wrist, and hooked one of the cuffs onto him. He asked you to make sure they were tight, so you did so, trying to make it as tight as you could without making any pain. You then hooked the other to the heater, nice and tight. Once they were done, he nodded, and looked to the walker.

"You only have to deal with him now..." Ryan whispered. "He's trapped over there... if you're careful... you can get what you need from him..."

You slowly nodded, wiping away the tears on your face as you stood. You took hold of Clementine's hand gently, and the two of you made it back into the room, and toward the walker. You moved slowly, and cautiously. Ryan gave small bits of advice as you approached the corpse. When he recommended getting the keys first, that's exactly what you did.

Or... tried to. You reached forward.. ready to get the keys... but suddenly, the walker moved forward, and the chair tipped over, and fell to the ground. You screamed as you tripped. You struggled to get away, but the walker held onto your ankle. You cried out at the tight grip. You wiggled away, and crawled, but he latched onto you again, and pulled you back. You screamed again and tried to kick him, but his grip was too strong.

Ahead of you, Ryan's eyes were wide, and he was stammering... struggling... yelling out... calling to you. You could hear the fear in his voice. You continued to struggle to get away, but... suddenly, a gunshot sounded, and the walker stopped moving. You yanked your foot away and looked over, to see Clementine aiming at the walker with it's gun in her hand. It must have fallen off of him when he'd moved. You gave a relieved sigh and got up, walking over to the girl and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Clementine..." You whispered. "Thank you!"

Clementine held tightly onto you. "Are you bit?" She asked.

You slowly shook your head. "No, sweetie. I'm fine."

"Good..." Clementine whispered. "That would be bad..."

"G-Great, Clem..." Ryan's voice sounded from where he sat. "Good job..."

You left Clem's side, and walked over to the walker, leaning down and grabbing the keys. When you did that, you hooked the keys to your belt, and then joined Clem in walking over to Ryan. The two of you crouched down in front of him. He still struggled to stay awake... and looked to you both with sad, sad eyes.

"Hey..." He whispered. "You're strong... b-both of you... you can do anything..."

Clementine slowly shook her head. "But... I'm little..." She softly argued.

Ryan slowly nodded. "That... doesn't mean anything..." He whispered. "You're going to... see bad stuff, but... it'll be... okay..."

Clementine choked out a sob and began to shake again. "My parents... it's so horrible..." She whispered.

"I can't imagine... sweet-pea..." Ryan groaned.

"And now... _you _too? Please, Cry... Please don't become one of them... PLEASE don't become a walker..."

Ryan hesitated. "There's only... one thing you can do... You... know that..." He softly replied. Your eyes widened. No. No... you... you couldn't. Clem couldn't. You both couldn't.

"I don't know if we can..." You told him.

Ryan slowly nodded. "You can leave me..." He decided. He took a breath. "It's okay..."

Clementine slowly shook her head. "You'll be just like them..."

"I-It's okay... it won't be me..." Ryan argued.

Clementine slowly shook her head and whined. "Cryyyyy..."

There was silence between the three of you for a moment. You looked into Ryan's eyes, watching as the blue completely vanished, leaving his eyes a miserable gray color. He looked sad... so sad, but... also... really tired. Like the one thing he needed the most is rest. But if he slept now... would he wake up... alive?

Suddenly, Ryan groaned, and looked to you. "[Your Name]..." He whispered. "M-My... right pocket... there is... something for you..."

You tilted your head to the side, confused, but you did as he implied, and gently reached into the right pocket of his jeans. You fished around a moment, before finally pulling out a small object. As you pulled it out, a part of it shined, and your eyes widened.

A ring.

"I've... been saving it..." Ryan whispered. "For if... if the world got better..."

You felt tears slip down your cheeks at a faster rate. Your heart was pounding. Gently, you slipped the ring onto your ring-finger, and looked to him with a happy, yet really sad gaze. You slowly nodded.

"Okay..." You whispered. "I... yes. Yes."

Ryan cracked the smallest of smiles, and slowly nodded. "I... love you..." He whispered.

You cracked your own soft smile, and slipped your left hand into his. "I love you too..."

He then coughed, and his smile faded. He shook his head. "You two... it's time to go... you need..." He coughed again. "to get out... of here..."

Clementine cried. "Y-You can come with us..." She suggested.

For the first time in who knows how long, you actually saw tears slip from Ryan's eyes. They slid across his cheeks, and dripped onto his bloodied white shirt. "N-No, honey, I can't..." He whispered, his voice cracking. "It's okay..."

Clementine slowly shook her head. "Pleaseeeee..."

You slid an arm around Clementine's shoulder and held her close with comfort. Ryan shook his head.

"You HAVE to go..." He choked out. "Now..."

"Maybe..." Clementine whispered. "Maybe... maybe I shouldn't... let you turn...?"

Ryan shook his head again. "I don't want... you to have to... do that..." He whispered. "Shooting things, it... changes you, sweetie... I don't want you... to get used to it..." He paused, and looked to Clem. "You shot that man before... Clem... I don't want you getting used to it... do you understand?"

"Y-Yeah..." Clementine cried out. "C-Cry... I do..."

Ryan hummed. "O-Only do it if you absolutely... have to... Otherwise..."

"We'll go..." Clementine interrupted. "[Your Name] and I... we'll leave you. We'll go as fast as we can..."

"A-And as safe as you can..." Ryan advised. "Always be safe..."

You felt tears rushing down your cheeks, now. You even began to shake and make little sobbing noises. This is the most painful thing you'd ever dealt with before. It hurt so much...

"F-Find Omid, and... C-Christa..." Ryan continued, mainly looking to you as he spoke. "Th-They're probably... looking for us... right now. Stay on high... ground... don't go too... far... You'll... you'll find them... both of you..."

Clementine and I slowly nodded. Ryan looked away, and then up to you. His eyes shined, though they were from tears, not joy. He let out a slow breath.

"[Your Name]..." He whispered. "Take... good... care of Clementine... She's... She's fully your responsibility... n-now..."

You quickly nodded. "I will, Ryan." You mumbled. "I promise. I won't let anything happen to her."

Ryan gave a slow nod. "And... keep moving... you're going to want to find some place like the motor-inn, b-but... that's just... not safe..."

You slowly nodded. "Keep moving..." You repeated. "We've got it, Ryan..."

"Why not?" Clementine asked.

Ryan looked to her. "Those places are... just targets..." He told her. "Move... as fast as you can." He paused... and looked away. "And... also..."

You waited for him to finish, and then, your eyes widened as his shut, and his chest stopped moving. You reached a hand out and prodded his shoulder. "Ryan!" You gasped. "Wake up!"

Suddenly, his chest moved again, and he opened his eyes. He groaned as he tried to stay awake. He took in another breath, and looked up to meet your gaze. "[Your Name]..." He whispered. "Keep that hair short... that goes for... both of you..." He paused, and kept looking between you and Clementine. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks. "I'll... miss you..." He whispered.

You and Clementine nodded... but Clementine was the one to speak.

"Me too..." She whispered.

Gently, she reached her hand out, and placed it in his. He gave a small hum and curled his hand around hers for a moment. You felt another wave of sorrow flood over you. And though it was a bad idea, you did it anyway. Gently, you leaned forward, cupped his cheek in your hand again, and pressed your lips against his.

You could feel his lips press back, and received the taste of blood, and warmth. When the kiss was through, you slowly pulled away, and wiped the blood off of the mouth with your sleeve. Then, you remembered. The jacket around your waist. You untied it, and covered Ryan's torso, draping it over his shoulders.

He gave you a small nod. Then, his eyes closed. His breathing stopped. His grip on Clementine's hand loosened. His body slumped over. His life slipped from him, and he became nothing more than a corpse waiting to turn into a walker.

You and Clementine cried, but you knew you couldn't stick around for long. Gently, you took hold of Clementine's hand. You stared down at the ring on your finger... the promise. The commitment you had made. Ryan was your husband. Now and forever. Looking to Clem, the two of you didn't say another word, as you turned, walked into the room, and to the door. As you began to unlock the door, and open it, you couldn't help but look over to something on the desk.

_ A bouquet of dead roses._


	33. Epilogue

_**WARNING: This story contains heavy foul language, detailed death, implied sexual content, and an extreme amount of feels. I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, any of the mentioned characters in this story, or "You" (because apparently it's illegal to kidnap people and keep them in your basement).**_

_**Epilogue**_

_Two figures silently sat upon a log together, under a dying tree in the middle of a big, tall-grass field. The sky was dark, full of clouds, and covering the sun that was setting miles and miles and miles away. The two figures were hand-in-hand as they stared down at their laps, collecting their thoughts as they tried to rebuild the hopes that had been wrongfully taken from them. At their feet, a few shot-gun shells lay, but they were worthless with the hand-guns that stay on their belts. A gentle breeze blew by, ruffling their hair as it went. The moment was silent. No one spoke. There were no walkers to growl at them... no leader of a group to tell them what to do. No one to help raise their spirits, and promise it would be okay. It was them, and only them. A young girl, and a young woman, one wearing a hat, and another with a ring on her finger._

_ Suddenly, one of them looked up. The littlest one. She looked up, with wide eyes, and got off of the log. She took a few steps forward and squinted as she tried to peer against the setting sun. The older one, the young woman, stood with her, raising her hand to her eyes to block out the sun as she looked to where the young one was looking._

_ In the distance, two more figures walked, their bodies shadowed, not a single detail visible. The figures stopped suddenly, about the same time that the young girl and woman had noticed them. For a couple moments, the two sets of figures stared at one another. And then, the figures in the distance began to run toward them. They moved too gracefully and quickly to be walkers. They weren't corpses..._

_ They were people._


End file.
